Brookline MA Property Tax Rate 2026

What is the Brookline property tax rate for 2026?

Brookline's FY2026 residential property tax rate is $10.24 per $1,000 of assessed value. The commercial, industrial, and personal-property (CIP) rate is $17.16 per $1,000. The fiscal year runs July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026. Brookline uses a split tax rate, so homeowners pay the lower residential rate.

Source: Town of Brookline Board of Assessors. Rates verified 2026-06-10.

The Brookline residential exemption explained

Brookline's most important feature for homeowners is the residential exemption for owner-occupants. For FY2026 it deducts $354,974 from a qualifying home's assessed value before the tax is calculated. At the $10.24 rate, that deduction lowers the annual bill by $3,634.93. The exemption is a flat reduction in assessed value, so the dollar savings are identical for every qualifying owner-occupant — which means it benefits lower-assessed primary homes proportionally more. You must occupy the home as your principal residence and file the exemption application with the Board of Assessors; it does not apply automatically and does not apply to non-owner-occupied or investment properties.

How much will I pay? Example Brookline tax bills

At the FY2026 residential rate of $10.24 per $1,000, here is the annual tax at several assessed values — shown both before the exemption and as an owner-occupant who claims it. Brookline's median single-family and condo sold price over the past year is about $1,282,500 (from our MLS data). Tax is based on assessed value, which the town sets and which usually trails current market value.

Based on assessed value at $10.24 per $1,000 (FY2026); exemption column deducts $3,634.93 for qualifying owner-occupants. Median sold price based on information from MLS PIN. Not guaranteed accurate.

How does Massachusetts property tax work?

Massachusetts property tax is set locally and billed quarterly. Each town sets its own rate per $1,000 of assessed value, with the assessment fixed as of January 1 of the prior year. Statewide rules:

• •Assessed, not market. Tax is based on assessed value, not your purchase price.
• •Proposition 2½. A town's total levy can grow only 2.5% per year, plus new growth, unless voters override.
• •Quarterly bills. Preliminary bills due August 1 and November 1; actual bills due February 1 and May 1.
• •Abatements. File with the Board of Assessors after the Q3 actual bill, by the printed deadline.

Property taxes when buying or selling in Brookline

When you buy a home in Brookline as your primary residence, apply for the residential exemption to capture the $3,634.93 annual savings. Condo buyers should remember that monthly cost includes property tax plus any condo fees. When you sell, you pay the Massachusetts deeds excise of $4.56 per $1,000 of sale price at closing. Explore Brookline neighborhoods or get an instant home estimate.

How Brookline compares to nearby towns

Brookline's $10.24 residential rate sits in the middle of the towns we serve, but its residential exemption is unusual — most surrounding towns do not offer one. Compare FY2026 residential rates:

• •Newton: $9.69
• •Brookline: $10.24 (with the owner-occupant residential exemption)
• •Needham: $10.83
• •Natick: $12.17 (single uniform rate)

For current sale-price context, see our Brookline market report and Newton market report.