2013 Tax Rates by Municipality: How Does Melrose Compare?
Melrose's 2013 residential tax rate ranks below the state average, according to rates compiled by Patch through the state Department of Revenue's Division of Local Services.
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As 2013 begins, property tax rates are increasing for residents across Massachusetts, including in Melrose — so how does that compare to surrounding communities?
Out of 27 communities in the area, Melrose's 2013 residential tax rate ranks below the state average, according to rates compiled by Patch through the state Department of Revenue's Division of Local Services. Melrose's 2013 residential tax rate is $13.03, up from $12.76 in 2012.
The average residential tax rate for communities surveyed was $13.09 in 2012 and has risen to $13.58 in 2013, according to the data.
Chelmsford's 2013 residential tax rate of $17.95 is the highest of the communities surveyed. Cambridge continues to levy the lowest residential taxes, with a 2013 rate of $8.66 (Cambridge also adopts a residential exemption).
Boston's commercial tax rate of $31.96 is the highest commercial rate of the communities surveyed, while Winchester is the lowest with a rate of $12.01.
Check the chart below to see comparisons between communities:
2013 Tax Rates By Municipality
Information taken from the state Division of Local Services. The residental tax rates for communities are in order from lowest to highest. See the attached PDF for more 2013 tax rates as approved by the state.
| Community | Residential Tax Rate | Commercial and Industrial Tax Rate | Residential Exemption | ||||||
| 2013 | 2012 | 2013 | 2012 | ||||||
| Cambridge | 8.66 | 8.48 | 21.50 | 20.76 | 30% | ||||
| Woburn | 10.40 | 10.40 | 27.01 | 26.83 | |||||
| Saugus | 11.28 | 11.04 | 24.90 | 24.16 | |||||
| Brookline | 11.65 | 11.40 | 18.97 | 18.58 | 20% | ||||
| Burlington | 11.85 | 11.55 | 31.70 | 30.95 | |||||
| Peabody | 11.98 | 11.82 | 23.57 | 23.43 | |||||
| Wakefield | 12.29 | 11.90 | 24.97 | 24.18 | |||||
| Medford | 12.36 | 12.03 | 24.39 | 23.72 | |||||
| Winchester | 12.77 | 12.55 | 12.01 | 11.77 | |||||
| Melrose | 13.03 | 12.76 | 19.90 | 19.47 | |||||
| Stoneham | 13.06 | 12.61 | 21.00 | 20.25 | |||||
| Boston | 13.14 | 13.04 | 31.96 | 31.92 | 30% | ||||
| Belmont | 13.33 | 13.35 | 13.33 | 13.35 | |||||
| Somerville | 13.42 | 13.09 | 22.38 | 21.85 | 30% | ||||
| Arlington | 13.61 | 13.66 | 13.61 | 13.66 | |||||
| Wilmington | 13.61 | 12.14 | 28.64 | 28.10 | |||||
| North Andover | 13.72 | 12.92 | 18.85 | 19.16 | |||||
| Andover | 14.51 | 14.15 | 24.26 | 23.54 | |||||
| Danvers | 14.54 | 13.93 | 20.23 | 19.38 | |||||
| Lynnfield | 14.82 | 14.26 | 16.29 | 15.56 | |||||
| Reading | 14.94 | 14.15 | 14.94 | 14.15 | |||||
| Tewksbury | 15.44 | 14.93 | 25.60 | 25.05 | |||||
| Malden | 15.88 | 14.33 | 25.42 | 24.84 | 20% | ||||
| North Reading | 16.04 | 14.38 | 16.04 | 14.38 | |||||
| Westford | 16.13 | 15.55 | 16.38 | 15.79 | |||||
| Salem | 16.38 | 15.63 | 31.46 | 29.81 | 20% | ||||
| Chelmsford | 17.95 | 17.49 | 17.95 | 17.49 |
Steve Meuse
8:18 am on Friday, January 4, 2013
I think you should have also listed the average tax bill for each municipality on the list. Since a house in Winchester costs say 700k and a house in Melrose costs 400k, comparing the tax rates isn't very informative
Daniel DeMaina
9:36 am on Friday, January 4, 2013
I disagree that it's not informative Steve, as you can see some cities and towns made smaller increases than others, some actually dropped their rates, some have split tax rates and others don't, but I understand your point about context. Of course there's a number of variables that should be taken into account besides only the average tax bill—such as number of services provided, municipal employees, commercial tax base, etc. As for what you're looking for, the average residential tax bill in Melrose for 2013 is $5,212 and for Winchester it's $9,839.