Property Taxes In Every CT Town: Who Pays The Most, Who Pays The Least?

CONNECTICUT — On the average, Connecticut residents pay the third-highest property taxes in the nation, according to Rocket Mortgage, but those rates vary significantly from town to town, as the recent update by the state's Office of Policy and Management shows.

Hartford can now boast of having the state's highest mill rate, set at 68.95 for the current fiscal year 2025-26. It's the same rate as last year, but perennial mill rate king, the Torrington Lakeridge Tax District, saw its rate drop nearly 55 percent to 61.32. The Washington mill rate, at 10.85 has held steady, and remains the lowest for a municipality in the state. Not far behind are Salisbury (11.00), Sharon (11.15) and Greenwich (12.041).

Under Connecticut law, real estate is generally assessed at 70 percent of its market value (the assessment ratio). The municipality then sets a mill rate (dollars per $1,000 of assessed value). For example, a house with a market value of $300,000 would be assessed at $210,000 (70 percent). If the mill rate in the town is 30, the tax would be $210,000 divided by 1,000 times 30, or $6,300. One exception: in the city of Hartford, different assessment rules apply for certain classes of property."

Mill rates are not the only forces at play when determining property tax bills. In general, towns that have higher property values tend to have lower mill rates. The median listing price for a home in Greenwich in September was approximately $2,641,667, according to Zillow, yet it has the state's 4th-lowest municipal mill rate.

Municipalities also tax motor vehicles, but the state caps the rate at 32.46 mills; municipalities with rates above that are reimbursed by the state.

Some towns have a municipal tax and an additional tax, such as a fire district tax. This generally adds a couple extra mill rate points to a property owner’s tax liability, but there are some exceptions. Notably, West Haven has three fire district taxes, with mill rates ranging from 7.29 to 8.95.