Taxes
Connecticut Property Taxes by Town: Mill Rates Explained
Every Connecticut town sets its own tax rate. Here is how a bill is calculated, why rates dropped in some towns for FY2027 and how to check the real number on a specific home.
The short answer
A Connecticut tax bill is the assessed value (70 percent of market value) times the town's mill rate, divided by 1,000. Rates vary widely: for FY2027, CT OPM lists 10.125 mills in Greenwich and 46.77 in West Hartford. Several towns cut their rate after a revaluation, which raised assessments, so compare bills, not rates.
Key figures
| Assessment ratio | 70 percent of fair market value1 |
|---|---|
| Grand list behind FY2027 rates | October 1, 2025 (FY2027 runs July 2026 to June 2027)2 |
| Revaluation cycle | At least every five years, set by each town1 |
| Motor vehicle mill rate cap | 32.46 mills2 |
| When tax bills are due | TO VERIFY Due dates and installment schedules are set by each town. Check the tax collector's page for the town. |
Property tax is the cost that surprises most people moving to Connecticut. There is no county government collecting it: each of the state’s 169 towns2 sets its own budget and its own mill rate, so the same house can carry very different bills a few miles apart. This guide explains how the bill is built, shows the official rates for the towns we cover and tells you how to check a specific home before you buy.
How a Connecticut tax bill is calculated
Connecticut towns assess real estate at 70 percent of its fair market value as of the town’s last revaluation1. The tax is that assessment times the mill rate, divided by 1,000. One mill is one dollar per $1,000 of assessed value.
For example, a home with a market value of $500,000 has an assessment of $350,000. In Milford, with an FY2027 mill rate of 28.672, the bill would be about $350,000 times 28.67 divided by 1,000, or $10,035 a year, before any credits or special district charges.
Cars are taxed the same way, using a separate motor vehicle mill rate. State law caps that rate and for FY2027 the cap is 32.46 mills2.
Fiscal years and grand lists
Rates are set for a fiscal year that runs from July 1 to June 30. Each fiscal year’s rate applies to the grand list (the town’s list of taxable property) from October 1 two years earlier. So FY2027 rates, which run from July 2026 to June 2027, apply to the October 1, 2025 grand list2. When you read a rate, check which fiscal year it belongs to.
Mill rates for the towns on this site
The table uses the official rates published by the CT Office of Policy and Management. The last column applies each FY2027 rate to the same $500,000 home so you can compare towns on one basis.
| Town | FY2026 mill rate | FY2027 mill rate | Change | FY2027 car tax rate | FY2027 tax on a $500,000 home* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greenwich | 12.041 | 10.125 | -1.92 | 10.125 | $3,544 |
| Westport | 18.86 | 13.20 | -5.66 | 13.20 | $4,620 |
| Darien | 15.48 | 16.05 | +0.57 | 16.05 | $5,618 |
| Fairfield | 28.39 | 19.19 | -9.20 | 19.19 | $6,717 |
| Madison | 22.43 | 23.06 | +0.63 | 23.06 | $8,071 |
| Southbury | 24.20 | 25.40 | +1.20 | 25.40 | $8,890 |
| Ridgefield | 27.39 | 28.36 | +0.97 | 28.36 | $9,926 |
| Guilford | 27.65 | 28.40 | +0.75 | 28.40 | $9,940 |
| Stamford | 23.27 to 23.92† | 24.31 to 25.14† | by tax district | 24.31 | $8,509 to $8,799 |
| Milford | 29.55 | 28.67 | -0.88 | 28.67 | $10,035 |
| Norwalk | 22.39 to 23.95† | 22.98 to 24.67† | by taxing district | 22.95 | $8,044 to $8,635 |
| New Haven | 39.40 | 39.962 | +0.56 | 32.46 | $13,987 |
| West Hartford | 44.78 | 46.77 | +1.99 | 32.46 | $16,370 |
Source: CT Office of Policy and Management, Mill Rates (FY2014 to FY2027 data); City of Stamford Assessor, property assessment (FY2027 district rates); City of Norwalk, Tax Collector's legal notice, collection period July 2026; City of Norwalk, FY2027 Approved Operating Budget Book (pp. 13 to 14, 39). FY2027 runs July 2026 to June 2027 and is based on the October 1, 2025 grand list. *An illustration, not a tax bill: $500,000 market value assessed at 70 percent, times the FY2027 real estate mill rate, before special district rates, exemptions or credits. A lower rate after a revaluation does not mean a lower bill. †Stamford and Norwalk tax real estate at a different rate in each district; the range runs from the lowest to the highest district.
A $500,000 home is a teaching example, not a typical price: in Greenwich it would be well below the median sale price, in New Haven well above it. Use the cost of moving calculator to run the numbers on your own price.
Revaluation: why a lower rate does not always mean a lower bill
Towns must revalue all property on a regular cycle of at least every five years1. When home values have risen, a revaluation raises most assessments and the town can then raise the same budget with a lower mill rate. That is what happened in several towns for FY2027: Fairfield went from 28.39 to 19.19 mills, Westport from 18.86 to 13.20 and Shelton from 18.82 to 15.512.
The bill on a particular home depends on how its assessment moved compared with the rest of town. If your home’s value rose faster than average, your bill can go up even as the rate falls. When you compare towns, use the rate together with the assessment for the specific home and ask whether a revaluation is due soon.
Special tax districts
Some towns have service or tax districts that levy their own rates for things like fire service, sewers or private road associations. OPM’s FY2027 data lists separate district rates for 31 districts and associations in Greenwich, 20 in Westport, 9 in Norwalk and 7 in Stamford3. Ask the tax collector which districts apply to an address before you rely on the town rate alone.
How to check a specific home
- Find the town assessor’s online database and look up the property’s field card. It shows the assessment, the last revaluation year, lot size and recorded improvements.
- Multiply the assessment by the current mill rate and divide by 1,000. Add any district rate.
- Compare with the seller’s actual tax bill. If they differ, ask why: exemptions, credits or recent improvements can explain it.
- Ask when the next revaluation is scheduled.
Appeals
If you think your assessment is wrong, start with the assessor. Each town has a Board of Assessment Appeals with a filing deadline set by state law; check the town’s site for the current deadline and form. Errors on the field card, such as the wrong square footage or a finished basement that is not finished, are the easiest to fix.
Credits and relief
Connecticut residents who pay property tax on a home or car may qualify for a credit on their state income tax return, up to $300 for the 2025 tax year, subject to income limits4. Homeowners who are 65 or older or have a disability, may qualify for the state’s Circuit Breaker program, which for 2025 income applies up to $46,300 for single filers and $56,500 for married couples, with credits of up to $1,000 and $1,250. Applications go through the town assessor between February 1 and May 155. Many towns add local relief programs. The guide to retiring in Connecticut covers these in more detail.
Reading a Connecticut tax bill
A real estate tax bill names the property, the grand list year it is based on, the assessed value and the mill rate. Multiply the assessment by the rate, divide by 1,000 and you get the yearly tax before any credits.
The grand list year and the fiscal year are different. A bill based on the October 1 grand list is paid during the fiscal year that starts the following July. When you compare towns, make sure you compare the same fiscal year for each.
If the bill shows a second rate, it is usually a special district such as a fire, sewer or beach district. Those rates add to the town rate for addresses inside the district only.
Paying the tax
Most towns bill real estate tax in installments over the fiscal year. Exact due dates and grace periods vary by town, so treat any date you see in a listing as something to confirm with the tax collector. We show due dates as TO VERIFY on this site until each town is checked.
If you have a mortgage, your lender will usually collect the tax monthly in an escrow account and pay the town for you. Ask your lender how they estimate the first year, because the seller’s bill may not reflect a new assessment.
At closing, real estate tax is normally adjusted between buyer and seller. Your attorney will explain how the adjustment works for the town you are buying in.
Budgeting through a revaluation
Every Connecticut town revalues property on a regular cycle. After a revaluation the mill rate usually changes, because the town is spreading roughly the same budget over a new total value.
What matters to you is how your home’s assessment moved compared with the town as a whole. If your home rose more than the average, your bill can go up even when the rate falls. If it rose less, your bill can fall.
The FY2027 changes in Fairfield and Westport are good examples of large rate cuts after revaluation2. Read our mill rate math post for a worked comparison.
When you buy, ask when the town last revalued and when the next one is due. A purchase made just before a revaluation can see a bigger change in the first few years.
The car tax
Connecticut towns also tax motor vehicles. The town’s motor vehicle rate is applied to the assessed value of each car registered at your address. The state caps that rate, so in high-rate towns the car tax rate can be lower than the real estate rate2.
Your first car tax bill arrives after your vehicle appears on the town’s grand list. The new to Connecticut checklist covers registration timing.
Questions to ask the assessor or tax collector
Before you make an offer, a short call or email can settle most tax questions. Ask what the current assessment is and whether any permits or improvements are pending assessment.
Ask whether the address is in a special taxing district and what that district’s rate is. Ask when the next revaluation is scheduled.
If you qualify for a credit or exemption, such as the state Circuit Breaker program for older or disabled homeowners5, ask how and when to apply. Many towns also offer local programs with their own deadlines.
Comparing towns fairly
Compare tax on the same home price, then adjust for what that price buys in each town. A lower rate on a much more expensive house can still mean a bigger bill.
Our town pages each include a tax table for a sample home. For side-by-side views, see Stamford vs Norwalk, Greenwich vs Darien and Westport vs Fairfield.
For the full monthly picture, combine tax with insurance and any condo fees in the cost of moving calculator, then read the costs and money hub. When you are ready to look at specific homes, get matched with a licensed Connecticut agent who can pull the assessment for each one.
Related reading
Common questions
What is a mill rate in Connecticut?
A mill is one dollar of tax for every $1,000 of assessed value. A mill rate of 28.67, Milford's FY2027 rate, means $28.67 of tax per $1,000 of assessment2.
How is property tax calculated in Connecticut?
Take 70 percent of the home's fair market value as of the town's last revaluation (the assessment), multiply by the mill rate and divide by 1,0001. A $500,000 home in a town with a 25 mill rate pays about $8,750 a year before credits.
Why did my town's mill rate drop after revaluation?
When a revaluation raises assessed values across town, the same budget can be raised with a lower rate. Fairfield went from 28.39 to 19.19 mills and Westport from 18.86 to 13.20 for FY20272. Your bill depends on how much your assessment rose compared with the town average.
Which Connecticut towns have the lowest mill rates?
For FY2027 the lowest real estate rates in the OPM data are Salisbury (9.8) and Greenwich (10.125)2. Low rates often go with high home values, so the bill on a typical home is not necessarily small.
When are Connecticut property taxes due?
Each town sets its own due dates and installment plan, so check the tax collector's page for the town. If you have a mortgage with an escrow account, your lender pays the bills from it.
How do I appeal my assessment?
Each town has a Board of Assessment Appeals with a filing deadline set by state law. Start with the assessor, check the field card for errors and ask the town for the current appeal deadline and form.
Do Connecticut towns tax cars?
Yes. Cars are taxed by the town at a motor vehicle mill rate, which the state caps. For FY2027 the cap is 32.46 mills and several towns on this site are at it2.
Sources
Numbered notes on this page link to the source below. Figures marked To verify come from third-party sources and are still being checked.
- Connecticut General Statutes, Chapter 203 (assessment at 70% and revaluation)↩
- CT Office of Policy and Management, Mill Rates (FY2014 to FY2027 data)↩
- CT Open Data, Mill Rates for FY 2014 to 2027 (OPM)↩
- CT Department of Revenue Services, 2025 Form CT-1040 instructions↩
- CT Office of Policy and Management, Homeowners Elderly/Disabled Circuit Breaker Tax Relief Program↩
General information only. This guide is general information about Connecticut, not legal, tax, financial or real estate advice. Figures come from the sources cited beside them and change often. Confirm anything that matters with the source, the town or a qualified professional.
About this site. Live Love Work Connecticut is an information guide. It is not a Connecticut real estate brokerage, it does not represent buyers or sellers and it does not list, show, negotiate or sell property. If you ask for help, we introduce you to a licensed Connecticut real estate agent. [[REFERRAL_DISCLOSURE]]