Burlington, MA property taxes for fiscal 2026 are billed at $8.69 per $1,000 of assessed value for homes and $25.78 per $1,000 for commercial, industrial and business personal property, according to the Town of Burlington’s tax rate page. With the second-quarter bill due Nov. 1, this guide explains what is on a Burlington tax bill, when payments are due, and how residents can apply for exemptions or abatements.
Key facts: Burlington property tax at a glance
- FY2026 residential rate: $8.69 per $1,000 of assessed value (Town of Burlington).
- FY2026 commercial, industrial and personal property rate: $25.78 per $1,000 (Town of Burlington).
- Average single-family value: $820,300, with an average FY2026 bill of $7,128, up $355 or 5.25%, according to figures in the town’s Feb. 11, 2026 Ways and Means Committee minutes.
- Next due date: Nov. 1 (second-quarter preliminary bill). Because Nov. 1, 2026 falls on a Sunday, the town’s rule moves the deadline to the next business day.
- Late payments: interest accrues daily at 14%, according to the Treasurer/Collector’s tax guide.
How Burlington’s split tax rate works
Burlington uses a split, or classified, tax rate. The Select Board sets the rate each fall after the town’s budget, new growth and free cash are certified. Businesses pay a rate roughly three times the residential rate, which shifts much of the levy onto the town’s large commercial base along Middlesex Turnpike, the Burlington Mall area and the Route 128 office parks.
At the FY2026 classification hearing, the Select Board chose the residential factor option that would affect homeowners the least, setting the residential rate at $8.69, up slightly from $8.66 the year before, Burlington Buzz reported. The same report put the FY2026 tax levy at $156 million, about $15 million below what the town could raise under state law, and said residential property now makes up 64% of Burlington’s taxable value, compared with 62% ten years earlier.
That gap is known as excess levy capacity. Under Proposition 2½, a town’s total levy can generally rise by 2.5% a year plus new growth from construction, unless voters approve an override or a debt exclusion, as explained in the state Division of Local Services’ Levy Limits primer.
Reading your bill: preliminary vs. actual
The town’s fiscal year runs July 1 to June 30, and real estate bills go out quarterly, at least 30 days before each due date. The schedule from the Treasurer/Collector is:
- Aug. 1: preliminary bill covering July through September.
- Nov. 1: preliminary bill covering October through December.
- Feb. 1: actual bill covering January through March, issued after the tax rate is set.
- May 1: actual bill covering April through June.
The two preliminary bills are each based on the prior year’s tax, according to the Assessors’ important dates guide. The third-quarter actual bill, issued in late December, is the first to show the year’s assessed value and tax rate. It credits what was already paid and splits the remaining balance between the February and May bills. Valuations are based on a property’s condition and ownership as of the prior Jan. 1.
Residents who pay their own taxes can view and pay bills online through Invoice Cloud, which is linked from the Treasurer’s page. The office does not accept faxed or emailed requests for tax information, and new owners may not appear on bills for six months to a year.
Abatements: the Feb. 1 deadline
Owners who believe their assessment is too high, or that their property record contains errors, can file for an abatement. According to the Assessors’ abatement page, applications may be filed only after the third-quarter actual bill is mailed and must reach the Assessors Office at 29 Center Street, or carry a postmark, no later than Feb. 1. Missing that date forfeits the right to appeal for the year. Common grounds include overvaluation, data errors such as unfinished space recorded as finished, and assessments out of line with similar homes.
Exemptions for seniors, veterans and others
Burlington offers statutory exemptions for qualifying seniors, blind residents, disabled veterans, surviving spouses and people facing extreme hardship. Applications must be filed every year and are due April 1, with July 1 as the qualifying date, according to the town’s FY27 exemption chart. Examples from that chart:
- Clause 41C (age 65+): up to $1,000, with income limits of $23,274 for single applicants and $34,912 for married couples.
- Clause 17D (age 70+ or widowed): $350, with a $40,000 asset limit.
- Clause 22 (10% disability or Purple Heart): $800; Clause 22E (100% disability): $2,000.
The chart is a summary; the Assessors Office (781-270-1650) has full rules.
Housing costs in context
Burlington’s median owner-occupied home value was $740,600 in the Census Bureau’s 2020-2024 American Community Survey, and the median monthly cost for owners with a mortgage, including taxes and insurance, was $3,348, according to Census QuickFacts. Across Middlesex County, the median listing price was $839,750 in September 2026, according to Realtor.com data published by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED).
The town’s budget planning is also worth watching. The Feb. 11 Ways and Means minutes recorded a target of a $250 to $350 annual increase for the average single-family tax bill, along with rising health insurance, retirement and technical school costs. For other town news, see our roundup of what’s new in Burlington this fall and our Burlington winter parking ban and trash schedule. A future high school project would also affect tax bills; our Burlington High School project update explains where it stands.
Sources
- Town of Burlington: Tax Rate (FY2026)
- Town of Burlington Treasurer/Collector: Real Estate and Personal Property Tax
- Town of Burlington: Ways and Means Committee minutes, Feb. 11, 2026
- Town of Burlington Assessors: Abatements
- Town of Burlington: FY27 Real Estate Exemption Chart
- U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Burlington town
- FRED: Median Listing Price, Middlesex County, MA
Additional sources
- Town of Burlington Assessors: Important Dates
- Massachusetts Division of Local Services: Levy Limits, A Primer on Proposition 2½
- Burlington Buzz: Select Board Sets FY26 Tax Rate
Photo: Burlington Town Hall, by Emw, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
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