County tax profile · 2026 · Census ACS + IRS data

Property Tax & Income in Strafford County, New Hampshire

Strafford County has an effective property tax rate of 1.85%. On the median home value of $362,800, that's roughly $6,708 per year. Median household income is $88,570.

Effective Property Tax Rate1
1.85%
median tax $6,708 ÷ median home $362,800
Median Home Value1
$362,800
owner-occupied
Median Household Income1
$88,570
per-capita $46,304
Est. Annual Tax on Median Home1
$6,708
at 1.85% effective rate

What you'll pay, at a glance

Property taxes are the largest local tax most homeowners pay. The effective rate measures the real tax bill as a share of home value — a more useful number than the nominal “mill rate,” because assessment practices vary county to county.

MetricStrafford CountyNew Hampshire (state context)
Effective property tax rate11.85%1.78%
Median home value1$362,800
State income tax3No state income taxNo state income tax
State sales tax30.00% combined0.00% combined

How this is calculated

The effective property tax rate is the median real-estate tax bill divided by the median home value — both for owner-occupied homes, from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS 5-year estimates)1. Median income is also from the ACS1. Federal and state income-tax figures use IRS2 and Tax Foundation3 data.

About Strafford County, NH

Buying in Strafford County means weighing a $362,800 median home value against an annual property tax bill of about $6,708, based on an effective rate of 1.849%. That rate sits above New Hampshire's statewide median of 1.782% and ranks fourth among the state's ten counties, so taxes here run somewhat higher than in much of the rest of New Hampshire. Against a median household income of $88,570, the yearly tax equals roughly 7.6 cents on every dollar earned. The county's 1.849% rate is also more than double the national median of 0.794%, a gap worth planning for. Communities such as Rochester, Lee, and Dover anchor the county, with Rochester the largest of the three. Per-capita income of $46,304 offers another gauge of local earning power. For a prospective buyer, the combination of mid-range Granite State home prices and above-average tax rates shapes what carrying costs look like.

Frequently asked questions

What is the property tax rate in Strafford County, NH?
The effective rate is 1.85% — meaning the median tax bill equals about 1.85% of the median home value.
How much are property taxes on a median home?
On the median home ($362,800), the estimated annual bill is about $6,708.
Is Strafford County's rate high or low?
Compare it to the state median of 1.78% and the national average near 1.1%.
How does the effective rate differ from my mill rate?
A mill rate is the nominal levy per $1,000 of assessed value. The effective rate reflects what you actually pay after exemptions and assessments — it's the median tax bill as a share of median home value, so it better predicts your real cost.
Will a reassessment raise my tax bill?
Not necessarily. If your home's assessed value rises, your bill can go up, but only if the mill rate and exemptions stay flat. Contact the Strafford County assessor's office to review your current assessment.
Can I appeal my property tax assessment?
Yes. Most counties allow an appeal when you believe the assessed value exceeds the market value. File with the Strafford County assessor within the local deadline, typically with comparable sales as evidence.
Sources
[1] U.S. Census Bureau — ACS 5-Year (2023) — Median home value (B25077), median real-estate taxes (B25103), median household income (B19013), per-capita income (B19301).
[2] IRS — Statistics of Income — County income, AGI, and real-estate taxes paid.
[3] Tax Foundation — State income, sales, corporate, and estate/inheritance tax rates.