The property tax rate in Rockville, MD combines three separate levies: $0.292 per $100 of assessed value from the City of Rockville, $0.6742 from Montgomery County, and $0.112 from the State of Maryland, for a base of about $1.08 per $100.1City of Rockville. Taxes2Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation. 2025-2026 Tax Rates and Homestead Credit Caps Most Rockville addresses also sit inside the county’s fire and transit taxing districts, which add roughly another $0.21 per $100 at recent rates. The effective rate for a typical Rockville home lands near $1.29 per $100, so a property assessed at $500,000 generates about $6,450 a year before any credits.
The Three Layers of Your Bill
The City of Rockville sets its real property rate under Article VII of the City Charter, which authorizes the Council to levy taxes on all taxable property within city limits.3Maryland General Assembly. Municipal Charters of Maryland – City of Rockville For fiscal year 2025–2026, that rate is $0.292 per $100 of assessed value on real property, and $0.805 per $100 on personal property such as business equipment and inventory.1City of Rockville. Taxes
Montgomery County charges $0.6742 per $100, and Maryland adds $0.112 per $100.2Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation. 2025-2026 Tax Rates and Homestead Credit Caps Each government sets its own rate on its own schedule during budget season, with the Rockville Council adopting its rate by June 30 each year. All three charges, plus any special district levies, appear on a single consolidated bill.
The special districts matter. Most Rockville properties fall inside the county’s fire tax district and transit district, which have added roughly $0.21 per $100 at recent rates. Whether your address is covered depends on location, and the exact district rates can shift year to year.
How to Calculate What You Actually Owe
Your bill starts with your assessed value, which the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT) sets through a triennial reassessment cycle.4Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation. Real Property When a reassessment increases your value, the increase phases in over three years in equal thirds. A $30,000 jump raises your taxable assessment by $10,000 the first year, $10,000 the second, and $10,000 the third.5Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation. A Homeowners Guide to Property Taxes and Assessments A decrease takes effect immediately rather than phasing in.
You can look up your current phased-in assessment through SDAT’s Real Property Data Search using the account number from a prior bill or assessment notice.6Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation. Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation To find what you owe to any one jurisdiction, divide the assessed value by 100 and multiply by that jurisdiction’s rate. Add the results together.
For a $450,000 Rockville home using FY2025–2026 rates:
- City of Rockville: $4,500 × 0.292 = $1,314
- Montgomery County: $4,500 × 0.6742 = $3,034
- State of Maryland: $4,500 × 0.112 = $504
- Special districts (approximate): $4,500 × 0.21 = $945
- Estimated total: roughly $5,797
Your actual bill may differ depending on which special districts cover your address and whether any credits apply. The official bill arrives in July or August for the fiscal year beginning July 1.5Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation. A Homeowners Guide to Property Taxes and Assessments
Credits That Can Lower the Rate You Actually Pay
Homestead Tax Credit
The Homestead Tax Credit caps how much your taxable assessment can rise in a single year, no matter how much market value climbed. Montgomery County uses the state maximum cap of 10%.2Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation. 2025-2026 Tax Rates and Homestead Credit Caps If your assessment jumps 20% in one year, only 10% hits your taxable value, and the credit absorbs the rest.
The credit is not automatic. The property must be your principal residence, and you have to file a one-time application with SDAT so the credit is not applied to vacation homes or rentals.7Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation. Homestead Tax Credit Homeowners who have never filed the application lose money every year their assessment rises faster than the cap.
Homeowners’ Property Tax Credit
Maryland also offers an income-based credit for homeowners whose tax burden runs high relative to their earnings. For the 2026 tax year, combined gross household income must be $60,000 or less, and net worth (excluding the home and retirement accounts) must be $200,000 or less.8Maryland OneStop. Homeowners Property Tax Credit Application Form HTC 2026 The property must be your principal residence. The credit scales with income, and the application must be filed annually.
Montgomery County Credits
Montgomery County administers additional credits of its own, including one that offsets local income taxes paid, with amounts set by County Council resolution.9Montgomery County, Maryland. Property Tax Credit and Exemption Information The county’s Department of Finance maintains the current list and application deadlines.
When Payment Is Due
Maryland law requires counties and municipalities to offer a semi-annual payment option on owner-occupied residential properties and qualifying business properties.10Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Tax – Property Code Section 10-204.3 2025 The first installment is due July 1 and can be paid without interest through September 30. The second is due December 1 and can be paid without interest through December 31. Paying the full annual amount by September 30 avoids the service charge on the second installment.
You can pay online through the Montgomery County Department of Finance portal, by mail, or in person. Many homeowners pay through a mortgage escrow account, in which case the lender collects monthly and remits on your behalf. When taxes rise, lenders adjust the escrow payment and may create a shortage you can either pay as a lump sum or spread across the next 12 months.
Unpaid taxes become a lien on the property, and once you fall at least $250 behind, the property is eligible for the county’s annual tax sale.11Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation. Office of the State Tax Sale Ombudsman
If You Think Your Assessment Is Wrong
Because the rate applies to SDAT’s assessed value, a wrong assessment inflates your bill. Maryland lets you appeal through three progressive levels, and the first is informal enough for most homeowners to handle alone.12Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation. Assessment Appeal Process
- Supervisor’s Level: A short hearing of roughly 15 minutes with an assessor from the local SDAT office. File within 45 days of receiving your assessment notice. One postponement is allowed.
- Property Tax Assessment Appeal Board (PTAAB): An independent board. File within 30 days of the supervisor’s final notice. No fee. You can appear in person or submit in writing.
- Maryland Tax Court: Available if the PTAAB decision goes against you.
In the two years between reassessments, you can file a Petition for Review by the first business day of January to request an adjustment. If you bought the property between January 1 and June 30, you have 60 days from the transfer date to appeal.12Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation. Assessment Appeal Process Strong appeals rely on recent comparable sales, a professional appraisal, or documented conditions that reduce value. A general sense that taxes feel high will not move the number.