Hampshire County
property tax, explained.

01 / Location comes first

Three towns, three different starting points

Each row is a separate municipal rate. Choose the municipality that assesses your parcel; do not add these rates together. The example column holds the assessed value at $400,000 so you can see the effect of the rate alone.

This is not a ranking of actual homeowner bills. Assessments, relief and additional charges can differ. A countywide average effective rate answers a different question and cannot replace your parcel’s municipal rate.

02 / Follow the dollars

A $400,000 Northampton residential example

Assume a residential parcel assessed at $400,000 for FY2026, with no personal tax exemption or income-based CPA exemption. The city’s published base rate is $13.67 per $1,000. Its Community Preservation plan (PDF) identifies a 3% surcharge, and its 2026 CPA guidance (PDF) excludes the first $100,000 of residential value from that surcharge.

1. Calculate the base tax

   $400,000 ÷ 1,000 × $13.67

   $5,468.00
2. Calculate the CPA surcharge

   ($400,000 − $100,000) ÷ 1,000 × $13.67 × 3%

   $123.03
3. Base tax + CPA for the year

   Before other charges or individually approved relief

   $5,591.03

The $100,000 allowance reduces the CPA calculation only. Subtracting it before calculating the base tax would understate this example by $1,367. Charging 3% of the full base tax would overstate its CPA surcharge by $41.01.

04 / Check the underlying record

Find the assessment before estimating the bill

1. Confirm the municipality and parcel. Use the city or town shown on the tax bill. A county name alone is not enough to choose a rate.
2. For Northampton, open the Assessor’s Web Map. Select your parcel, open Parcel Details, then follow the Property Card link. The assessor’s website identifies the map data as FY2026 certified values.
3. Match the assessment year to the rate year. Check the total assessed value and property description. Keep the parcel ID, card and bill together so a value or classification question can be traced to the same record.

For another municipality, start at the Easthampton assessor or Amherst real estate tax page. Do not substitute a Northampton value or rate.

Why one quarterly payment may mislead you

Northampton bills quarterly, with routine due dates of August 1, November 1, February 1 and May 1. Check the actual bill for the applicable date and amount. The first two installments are preliminary; the city’s collector page explains the billing sequence.

Multiplying an early installment by four can miss a later adjustment. For a concrete nearby example, Easthampton says its FY2027 first and second quarter bills exclude the approved override, with the adjustment beginning in the third quarter. That is a reason to keep FY2026 examples separate from FY2027 bills.

05 / Choose the right application

Challenge a value or apply for relief?

Check CPA relief separately

The automatic $100,000 residential allowance differs from an income-based exemption of the CPA surcharge. The city publishes 2026 household income limits (PDF) and a CPA exemption application (PDF). The form states April 1 or three months after actual bills are mailed, whichever is later; confirm the fiscal year and deadline with the assessor. Filing does not suspend payment.

Some city documents contain inconsistent year references. We have not turned those into a promised current deadline or automatic calculator discount. The assessor must confirm eligibility and the applicable filing date.