Maine · County property tax · ACS 2024
Kennebec County Property Taxes
The median homeowner in Kennebec County pays $2,605 a year, an effective rate of 1.09%, well above the U.S. average.
- $2,605
- Median tax / yr · High bill
- 1.09%
- Effective rate · Above-median rate
- +31%
- vs U.S. average
- #5 of 16
- rank in ME
The verdict
Homeowners in Kennebec County pay a median $2,605 a year in property tax, an effective rate of 1.09%, more affordable than 29% of U.S. counties (Census ACS 2024).
- $2,605
- Median annual tax bill, 2024
- 1.09%
- Effective rate on median home
- #2220 of 3135
- U.S. counties by tax burden
- +31%
- vs the national average bill
Effective rate is the median property tax bill divided by the median home value ($238,200). U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2024.
Census Bureau ACS property tax data for Maine. Population: 126,808. Owner-occupied homes: 40,006.
The median annual property tax in Kennebec County is $2,605, which is 14% lower than the Maine state average and 31% above the national average. The effective tax rate is 1.09% on a median home value of $238,200. Property taxes represent 3.8% of the median household income in this county.
Kennebec County's rate standing among U.S. counties
Primary signal
The effective rate sits near the national middle
Kennebec County's 1.09% effective rate sits near the middle of 3,135 tracked counties (more affordable than 29%).
Decision signal 2
The bill sits well above the national median
Homeowners in Kennebec County pay a median annual property tax of $2,605, well above the national median and notably lower than the Maine state median. On a $238,200 median home, that works out to an effective rate of 1.09% once the local assessment base and millage are combined.
Decision signal 3
Near the middle of Maine counties by effective rate
Kennebec County ranks #5 of 16 counties in Maine by effective rate (69% of in-state counties pay a lower rate).
Decision signal 4
Income and the tax bill sit in the middle band
Property taxes in Kennebec County run within the commonly cited 2%-4% national benchmark, at about 3.8% of the $69,077 median household income.
Informational notice
Figures describe the median homeowner household in Kennebec County as reported to the Census Bureau; your parcel can differ. Not tax, legal, or financial advice: check the county assessor or a qualified professional before decisions that depend on these numbers.
The rate gave way faster than almost anywhere
Between the 2020 and 2024 releases the median home value in Kennebec County rose 45.2%, from $164,000 to $238,200. The effective rate fell 20.7% over the same span, a steeper move than in 85% of U.S. counties.
The median bill still rose 15.2%, to $2,605. Where the rate drops this far and the bill rises anyway, what changed is the value the rate is applied to.
Effective rate is the published median bill divided by the published median home value, so the two multiply back to the bill exactly; the rate's movement here is derived from those two figures rather than read from the rounded published rate. Both are ACS 5-year survey estimates for the median owner-occupied household, compared across non-overlapping releases. They describe what the Census published, not a local policy, assessment, or exemption change.
How to read this county's bill
Bills rose across 2020-2024, from $2,262 to $2,605, a gain of 15%. This is a comparison of published ACS medians, not an explanation of a particular property's assessment or tax bill.
The heaviest band is also the fullest one here: 15,077 of 40,006 owner-occupied homes (37.7%) report annual real-estate taxes above $3,000. That band has no upper edge in the source, so the county median understates the burden carried by the plurality rather than describing it.
Both the income and the rate here sit in the third quarter nationally, and the median bill is 3.8% of median household income. Two above-average figures pulling in opposite directions is why the rate on its own is a poor guide.
The share above is the median annual bill divided by median household income, a ratio of two county-level medians rather than a household-by-household figure.
What Kennebec County Homeowners Actually Pay
The single largest group of Kennebec County homeowners, 15,077 of 40,006 owner-occupied homes (37.7%), pays $3,000 or more a year. The median is one point in this spread, not a typical bill.
- Less than $800 5.4% (2,143)
- $800 to $1,499 12.8% (5,110)
- $1,500 to $1,999 13.6% (5,452)
- $2,000 to $2,999 28.2% (11,268)
- $3,000 or more 37.7% (15,077)
Census ACS 2024, table B25102. Bands and the no-tax share sum to 100%.
956 homes here (2.4%) report no real estate tax at all. Exemptions are set by state: how Maine handles assessments and appeals.
With vs Without Mortgage
Mortgaged and non-mortgaged homeowners in Kennebec County pay about the same bill, a 4% gap.
Kennebec County's effective rate vs peers
Effective property tax rate (median tax ÷ median home value), ACS 2024.
Kennebec County's effective rate is higher than 69% of the 16 counties in Maine - ranking #5 of 16.
Where Kennebec County sits among every U.S. county
Effective property tax rate (median tax ÷ median home value)
1.09% more affordable than 29% of 3,135 U.S. counties
Show national distribution
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more U.S. counties. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2024
Kennebec County vs Benchmarks
| Metric | Kennebec County | Maine Avg | U.S. Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Annual Tax High bill | |||
| Effective Tax Rate Above-median rate | |||
| Median Home Value | |||
| Tax as % of income Heavy income burden | 3.8% | - | - |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates. Tax-burden differences across rows reflect millage decisions, assessment-ratio practices, and the residential-vs-commercial mix of each tax base.
Kennebec County is PAR · MID on ACS medians, still verify your parcel card before quoting the county figure. Estimate appeal savings · Maine counties.
Kennebec County rate trail · PAR
| Year | Median Tax (vs prior release) | Effective Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $2,605 +3.8% | 1.09% |
| 2023 | $2,510 +2.7% | 1.14% |
| 2022 | $2,443 +5.9% | 1.23% |
| 2021 | $2,307 +2.0% | 1.36% |
| 2020 | $2,262 | 1.38% |
Each row is a separate ACS 5-year release, and consecutive releases share four of their five survey years. The percentage beside each bill is therefore movement in the published estimate against the previous release, not a single year's tax change. The two releases largely describe the same households. For change over time, compare releases that do not overlap.
Kennebec County: tax-to-income at 3.8%
Counties near Kennebec County's effective rate
On effective rate, Kennebec County sits nearest Coffey County (KS), Carroll County (IA), Warren County (GA).
On published median-tax change, the nearest matches are Holmes County (FL), Terrell County (TX), Berrien County (GA).
How peers are chosen
These are the nearest cross-state matches in the published Census data, not neighboring counties or recommendations. Peers are rebuilt with each data release; see the calculation method.
Similar effective rates
Similar published median-tax changes, 2020–2024
Kennebec County: only 3% of returns show Schedule A real-estate tax
Tax year 2022: 1,920 of 63,700 returns from Kennebec County reported real estate taxes, averaging $5,195 - 34% of those reporters sat in the $100-200k AGI band.
What this IRS county file does not say
Amounts are reported before the SALT cap, not deducted; the share is of filers, not homeowners. Source: IRS SOI county data, tax year 2022.
Other Counties in Maine
Kennebec County rate FAQs
- What is the tax affordability score for Kennebec County?
- Kennebec County, Maine scores F (33/100) on PlainPropertyTax's tax affordability composite across 5 Census ACS dimensions (effective rate, bill size, income share, mortgage gap, and home-value/income). Its strongest scored dimension here is mortgage premium at B+ (+$108). The score compares published county medians to U.S. percentiles, it is not a personal bill and not advice to buy, sell, appeal, or relocate.
- What is the average property tax in Kennebec County, Maine?
- The median annual property tax in Kennebec County is $2,605, an effective rate of 1.09% on a $238,200 median home (Census ACS, 2024).
- How does Kennebec County property tax compare to the national average?
- Property taxes in Kennebec County run well above the national median of $1,993, an effective rate of 1.09% versus 0.92% nationally.
- What percentage of income goes to property taxes in Kennebec County?
- Property taxes in Kennebec County run within the commonly cited 2%-4% national benchmark, at about 3.8% of the $69,077 median household income.
- Are property taxes increasing in Kennebec County?
- The ACS median property-tax bill for Kennebec County climbed 15.2% between the 2020 and 2024 5-year releases, from $2,262 to $2,605, a 4-year span. These are survey estimates covering five years each, so this compares the two releases furthest apart rather than consecutive ones, which overlap and would mostly measure the same households twice.
What to do with Kennebec County's PAR rate
Kennebec County's $2,605 median bill sits well above the U.S. median - size a personal estimate before treating the county headline as your budget. Estimate your bill →
Kennebec County ranks #5 of 16 Maine counties by effective rate - on the higher-burden half of the state ACS set. Maine overview →
Nationwide peers by effective rate (then bill)
Rate-first peers for Kennebec County's PAR effective rate, then a disjoint out-of-state bill set so the two neighborhoods stay distinct.
Similar effective rate
Nearest out-of-state counties by ACS effective rate. This county: 1.09%.
Similar median bill
Nearest out-of-state counties by ACS median annual tax. This county: $2,605/yr. Rate peers are excluded so the two link sets stay distinct.
Read with Kennebec County
Nearest ABS(median_tax) ACS peers for Kennebec County (PAR · MID), replacing the old fixed Keep exploring strip.
PAR MID
Juneau County, WI
ABS(median_tax) peer · tied with Kennebec County at $2,605/yr; rate 1.47% vs Kennebec County 1.09%.
Lynn County, TX
ABS(median_tax) peer · $2,604/yr (near-tied bill ABS $1); rate 1.77% vs Kennebec County 1.09%.
Orleans Parish, LA
ABS(median_tax) peer · $2,606/yr (near-tied bill ABS $1); rate 0.83% vs Kennebec County 1.09%.
Waseca County, MN
ABS(median_tax) peer · $2,603/yr (near-tied bill ABS $2); rate 1.18% vs Kennebec County 1.09%.
Maine county set
State ACS overview for every published Maine county rate and median bill.
Assessment cycle basics
Kennebec County stamps PAR · MID - how assessed value and millage become the ACS median bill.
Data vintage and method
Data as of 2024. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates.
Property tax data reflects median amounts paid by homeowners. Effective rates are calculated as median tax divided by median home value.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, county median real-estate taxes · 2024 Kennebec County (PAR · MID) - ACS medians, not a parcel bill.