Cambridge property tax increases vary anywhere from 4.2% to 14.4% depending on where you live

Cambridge residential property tax assessments increased by 8% on average for the FY 2020 tax bills, slightly higher than the estimated increase in Cambridge median home transaction prices (7.2%).

The increase in residential assessments was not uniform across different property types. As illustrated below, the average assessment increase for condos was 7.7%. In comparison, the assessments for single/two/three family properties increased by 10.7% on average.

The assessments increase was relatively uniform for condo owners across different neighborhoods and was generally between 7.5 to 7.9%. In contrast, for single/two/three family property owners, assessments increased by anywhere from 4.1% to 14.5%, raising the tax burden of certain homeowners compared to others. As the chart below shows, the assessments increased by 4–5% in East Cambridge/Kendall, Fresh Pond, and Neighborhood Nine compared to 10–14% in other Cambridge neighborhoods.

In addition to across-neighborhood differences, assessment increases varied within each neighborhood by different pricing ranges. As illustrated below, for most neighborhoods, single/two/three family properties with previous assessments less than $1.5M experienced a higher increase compared to those properties valued at more than $1.5M. This is a surprising observation that suggests that those homeowners with more expensive homes have a relatively lower tax burden in FY 2020.

The first installment of the new tax bill is due Monday, November 25th. Zappeal estimates that 42% of Cambridge homeowners may be eligible to lower their taxes based on neighborhood tax trends. Visit www.zappeal.io to learn your chances of lowering your tax bill and submit an abatement application before the deadline.