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Maryland · County guide

Dorchester County, Maryland property tax appeals

A Dorchester County property tax appeal starts with the Dorchester County Supervisor of Assessments (State Department of Assessments and Taxation), then the Dorchester County Property Tax Assessment Appeal Board. This season's deadline has not been announced yet. Our forecast for the Dorchester County Supervisor of Assessments (State Department of Assessments and Taxation): Dec 31, 2026 – Jan 4, 2027 (not an official date). There is no filing fee.

This season

Next deadline
Expected Dec 31, 2026 – Jan 4, 2027
Forecast, not an official date
Dorchester County Supervisor of Assessments (State Department of Assessments and Taxation)
Source: Maryland Code, Tax - Property § 14-503 (Maryland General Assembly)Last checked

Check a Dorchester County home for free

Here the check uses your own figures: you enter the assessed value from your notice or tax bill and the year you bought. We compare how much it has grown with the house price index for your area and show the numbers as your figures. You decide and file yourself.

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A $106,300 reduction

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Megan HollisHomeowner
Filing fee
No filing fee
Where to file first
Dorchester County Supervisor of Assessments (State Department of Assessments and Taxation)
Office address
501 Court Lane P.O. Box 488 Cambridge, Maryland 21613 · (410) 228-3380
Our coverage
Free check available
  • Independent guide — not affiliated with Dorchester County or any government agency.
Last updated
October 1, 2026
Sources last checked
October 1, 2026
Status
Verified guide

How we verify facts

What are the Dorchester County reassessment results, tax rates, caps and credits?

How much did Dorchester County reassessments change values?

Dorchester County reassessment results by year
ReassessmentAreaCompared withResidentialCommercialAll propertyHomes that rose
January 1, 2026[1]Area 22023 values+11.5%+9.3%+11%5,502 of 6,384 (86.18%)
January 1, 2025[2]Area 12022 values+23.2%+22.4%+23.2%—
January 1, 2024[3]Area 32021 values+22.3%+14.3%+21%—

What are the Dorchester County tax rates, caps, local credits and local figures?

Rehabilitation credit
Dorchester County's Property Structure Rehabilitation credit phases in the county tax on the higher assessment after an owner rehabilitates a structure; apply on the County's application form.[4]
Shoreline erosion credit
Dorchester County's Shoreline Erosion Control Structure credit gives owners who installed a qualified shoreline erosion control structure after June 30, 2006 a real property tax credit of 30% of its cost.[4]
Volunteer fire rescue credit
Dorchester County gives a $500 yearly credit against county property tax on a home owned by a qualifying volunteer fire company member ($1,000 if two or more members own it); apply to the Finance Department by May 1 each year.[5]
Assessment limitsCounty homestead credit cap (yearly limit on the taxable increase)
Dorchester County's homestead credit cap for 2026-2027 tax bills is 5% a year (towns inside the county may set their own cap).[6]
Reassessment history
SDAT's reassessments of Dorchester County fell in value in 2013-2016 and 2018 (as low as -11.7% in 2013), then rose every year from 2019, peaking at +23.2% in 2025 and +11.0% in 2026.[1] (latest published: tax year 2026)
Property tax rateConstant yield
SDAT certified a fiscal 2027 constant yield tax rate of $0.9789 per $100 for Dorchester County (outside Cambridge and Hurlock), against the fiscal 2026 rate of $1.0300; a rate above the constant yield rate requires advertising and a public hearing.[7]
Property tax rateCounty rate
For 2026-2027 the Dorchester County real property tax rate is $1.0300 per $100 of assessment, plus the State rate of $0.1120.[6]
Property tax rateCambridge municipal rate
For 2026-2027, real property in the City of Cambridge (Dorchester County) pays a city rate of $0.8000 per $100 plus a reduced county rate of $0.9567 and the State rate of $0.1120; Cambridge's homestead cap is 5%.[6]
Property tax rateEast New Market municipal rate
For 2026-2027, real property in the Town of East New Market (Dorchester County) pays a town rate of $0.6665 per $100 on top of the county rate of $1.0300 and the State rate of $0.1120.[6]
Property tax rateHurlock municipal rate
For 2026-2027, real property in the Town of Hurlock (Dorchester County) pays a town rate of $0.6231 per $100 plus a reduced county rate of $0.9479 and the State rate of $0.1120; SDAT lists a 10% homestead cap on the Hurlock row.[6]
Property tax rateSecretary municipal rate
For 2026-2027, real property in the Town of Secretary (Dorchester County) pays a town rate of $0.2307 per $100 on top of the county rate of $1.0300 and the State rate of $0.1120.[6]
Property tax rateVienna municipal rate
For 2026-2027, real property in the Town of Vienna (Dorchester County) pays a town rate of $0.4338 per $100 on top of the county rate of $1.0300 and the State rate of $0.1120.[6]

When and where do I file a Dorchester County property tax appeal?

Who hears a Dorchester County appeal?

The stages in order. We are not affiliated with any of these offices.

  1. 1

    Dorchester County Supervisor of Assessments (State Department of Assessments and Taxation)

    Filing: appeal

  2. 2

    Dorchester County Property Tax Assessment Appeal Board

    Filing: appeal

Where is the Dorchester County office?

Dorchester County Supervisor of Assessments (State Department of Assessments and Taxation)[13]

Dorchester County Supervisor of Assessments (SDAT local assessment office)

Address
501 Court Lane P.O. Box 488 Cambridge, Maryland 21613
Fax
(410) 228-3704
Hours
8:00 to 4:30

Dorchester County Property Tax Assessment Appeal Board[14]

Dorchester County Property Tax Assessment Appeals Board

Address
P. O. Box 488, County Office Building, Room 204, 501 Court Lane, Cambridge, MD 21613-0488

Tax collector[12]

Dorchester County Department of Finance

Address
County Office Building, 501 Court Lane, Cambridge, MD 21613

We are not affiliated with this office. Hours can change, so call before you visit.

Has the Dorchester County property tax appeal deadline been announced?

Upcoming
Not announced yet
Forecast
Expected to close between December 31, 2026 and January 4, 2027
Last checked

We will update this page when the new dates are posted.

Which Dorchester County filing windows are coming up?

Dorchester County filing windows
ClosesAreaWho hears itStatus
Expected Dec 31, 2026 – Jan 4, 2027CountywideDorchester County Supervisor of Assessments (State Department of Assessments and Taxation) · Official source · Last checked Sep 29, 2026Forecast, not an official date

When is the deadline to appeal a property tax assessment in Dorchester County?

The next filing window we list is predicted, not yet announced: Expected to close between December 31, 2026 and January 4, 2027 (predicted, not yet announced) — Dorchester County, Dorchester County Supervisor of Assessments (State Department of Assessments and Taxation).

Deadline detailLate payment
Dorchester County tax bills unpaid by September 30 become delinquent October 1 and accrue interest of 1% a month plus a 1% penalty on January 1; unpaid liens go to a public tax lien sale the next June.[8]
Deadline detailTax bill schedule
Dorchester County mails real property tax bills in July; annual bills and first semi-annual installments are due September 30, and second installments are due December 31.[8]

How do I file a property tax appeal in Dorchester County?

Dorchester County Property Tax Assessment Appeal Board: There is no fee to appeal to the Dorchester County Property Tax Assessment Appeal Board. Dorchester County Property Tax Assessment Appeal Board · Schedule: The Dorchester County Property Tax Assessment Appeals Board, three members and an alternate, meets 1 to 3 days a week during May, June or July to hear appeals from SDAT decisions.

Filing feeDorchester County Property Tax Assessment Appeal Board
There is no fee to appeal to the Dorchester County Property Tax Assessment Appeal Board.[9]
HearingsDorchester County Property Tax Assessment Appeal Board · Schedule
The Dorchester County Property Tax Assessment Appeals Board, three members and an alternate, meets 1 to 3 days a week during May, June or July to hear appeals from SDAT decisions.[10]

Upcoming appeal deadlines in every county we track

Which Maryland rules apply in Dorchester County?

These rules are the same in every Maryland county. Each link opens the rule on the Maryland page, where the Maryland-wide sources are listed.

What do Dorchester County property taxes and assessments look like?

Figures from public records and the Census, each with its source. They describe the county's homes as a group, not the value of any one home.

How much could a lower assessment save on Dorchester County property taxes?

Tax rate used: $1.142 per $100 of assessed value (county and State rates, fiscal 2026-27).

How much could a lower assessment save on Dorchester County property taxes?
ExampleTax saved
$10,000 less assessed value$114 a year
10% less on a home assessed at $46,000 (the county's 25th percentile)$53 a year
10% less on a home assessed at $153,700 (the county's median)$176 a year
10% less on a home assessed at $268,900 (the county's 75th percentile)$307 a year

These are examples: the tax rate times a lower assessed value. Exemptions, credits, caps and phase-ins can make the real change smaller. This is not a prediction for any home. Rate source: Tax Rates 2026-2027 - Tax Table & Homestead Credit Caps - July 2026 (SDAT PDF).

What do homeowners in Dorchester County pay in property tax?

The median owner-occupied home in Dorchester County was worth $262,400, and the median property tax its owners paid was $2,456 a year, according to the Census Bureau's American Community Survey.

Median home value
$262,400
Margin of error ±$12,508.
Median property tax paid per year
$2,456
Margin of error ±$105.
Median tax as a share of median value
0.94%
A ratio of two medians, not a tax rate. Your own bill depends on your assessment and local levies.
Owner-occupied homes
8,882
Margin of error ±364.

These are survey estimates of what owners reported about their own homes. They are not assessed values, not tax rates, and not an opinion of what any home is worth.

They cannot tell you whether your own assessment is fair. That takes a comparison with similar homes, which we offer only in counties we have researched.

From the county's assessment and appeal records

Homes in the county's assessment records
17,963
Median assessed value
$153,700
Middle half of assessed values
$46,000 to $268,900

Source: The county's open assessment data, aggregated by us (each home's latest final value, tax years 2024 to 2026). Our calculation from public records; not an opinion of any home's value.

How Dorchester County home assessments are spread

Assessed values of 17,963 homes in the property classes our free check covers (RES, SFR, TH, CND), each home's latest final value, tax years 2024 to 2026. Half are between $46,000 and $268,900; the median is $153,700. The last bar holds everything above it.Source: Assessment records from the county's open data (each home's latest final value, tax years 2024 to 2026), retrieved Sep 27, 2026; our calculation.

Median home value: Dorchester County compared

  1. Dorchester County$262,400
  2. Typical Maryland county$380,550
  3. Typical US county$185,300

Typical Maryland county $380,550; Dorchester County $262,400; Typical US county $185,300

Census survey medians for owner-occupied homes. "Typical" is the middle county of the 24 in Maryland and of all US counties.Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B25077.

Median property tax paid: Dorchester County compared

  1. Dorchester County$2,456
  2. Typical Maryland county$3,389
  3. Typical US county$1,619

Typical Maryland county $3,389 a year; Dorchester County $2,456 a year; Typical US county $1,619 a year

Census survey medians for owner-occupied homes. "Typical" is the middle county of the 24 in Maryland and of all US counties.Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B25103.

Median home assessment by election district

  1. Election district 08$263,050
  2. Election district 14$234,300
  3. Election district 16$197,600
  4. Election district 02$187,750
  5. Election district 15$174,500
  6. Election district 01$164,600
  7. Election district 07$151,200
  8. Election district 12$150,000
  9. Election district 06$143,400
  10. Election district 09$142,100
  11. Election district 13$107,700
  12. Election district 03$105,100
  13. Election district 04$94,000
  14. Election district 17$80,600
  15. Election district 18$61,500
  16. Election district 11$57,900
  17. Election district 10$36,750
  18. Election district 05$35,200

Median assessed value by election district: highest Election district 08 ($263,050), lowest Election district 05 ($35,200).

Median assessed value of homes in the property classes our free check covers (RES, SFR, TH, CND) for each election district with at least 50 such homes, each home's latest final value, tax years 2024 to 2026.Source: Assessment records from the county's open data (each home's latest final value, tax years 2024 to 2026), retrieved Sep 27, 2026; our calculation.

How often is property reassessed in Dorchester County?

Dorchester County is split into three SDAT reassessment areas; Area 3 is next reassessed January 1, 2027, and each area is revalued every three years.

Reassessment cycle
Dorchester County is split into three SDAT reassessment areas; Area 3 is next reassessed January 1, 2027, and each area is revalued every three years.[11]

Homes in Dorchester County

From the Census Bureau's American Community Survey: how old the homes are, what kind they are, what owners say they are worth and the property taxes they pay. These figures describe all homes together, not any one home.

Median year built
1975
All housing units, owned and rented
Single-family houses, detached or attached
77%
of 16,433 housing units
Owned homes with a mortgage or similar loan
55%
of 8,882 owner-occupied homes

Home values reported by owners

  1. Less than $50,0006%
  2. $50,000 to $99,9996%
  3. $100,000 to $199,99919%
  4. $200,000 to $299,99928%
  5. $300,000 to $399,99919%
  6. $400,000 to $499,9997%
  7. $500,000 to $749,9998%
  8. $750,000 to $999,9993%
  9. $1,000,000 to $1,999,9993%
  10. $2,000,000 or more<1%

Home values reported by owners in Dorchester County: Less than $50,000 6%; $50,000 to $99,999 6%; $100,000 to $199,999 19%; $200,000 to $299,999 28%; $300,000 to $399,999 19%; $400,000 to $499,999 7%; $500,000 to $749,999 8%; $750,000 to $999,999 3%; $1,000,000 to $1,999,999 3%; $2,000,000 or more <1%.

Share of owner-occupied homes in each value range. Owners give this value in the survey; it is not the assessed value.Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2020–2024 5-year estimates, table B25075.

Property taxes owners pay a year

  1. No real estate taxes6%
  2. Less than $8005%
  3. $800 to $1,49916%
  4. $1,500 to $1,99914%
  5. $2,000 to $2,99926%
  6. $3,000 or more33%

Property taxes owners pay a year in Dorchester County: No real estate taxes 6%; Less than $800 5%; $800 to $1,499 16%; $1,500 to $1,999 14%; $2,000 to $2,999 26%; $3,000 or more 33%.

Share of owner-occupied homes by the real estate taxes paid in a year, with or without a mortgage.Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2020–2024 5-year estimates, table B25102.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (2020–2024 5-year estimates, tables B25075, B25102, B25035, B25024 and B25081), retrieved Oct 1, 2026. Survey estimates have a margin of error.

More questions about Dorchester County property tax appeals

When is the Dorchester County property tax appeal deadline?

This season's deadline has not been announced yet. We expect it to close between December 31, 2026 and January 4, 2027. This is our forecast, not an official date. In Maryland, when you get a new assessment notice you can appeal it to the Supervisor of Assessments within 45 days of the date of the notice.[15][16]

Is there a fee to file a property tax appeal in Dorchester County?

There is no fee to appeal to the Dorchester County Property Tax Assessment Appeal Board.[9]

Where do I file my first property tax appeal in Dorchester County?

In Dorchester County, an assessment appeal is filed online with the control number on the notice, or on the paper form returned to the local SDAT assessment office, within 45 days of the notice date.[17]

Can my assessed value go up if I appeal in Dorchester County?

The same Maryland rule applies in every county. Read the Maryland rule

Which details are not confirmed yet?

We show a fact only after a person has checked it against the official source. These are still being checked. Until then, ask the Dorchester County Supervisor of Assessments (State Department of Assessments and Taxation):

  • When a filing counts as on time

Property tax guides for Dorchester County homeowners

Counties next to Dorchester County

Maryland property tax appeals: all counties

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Where do these facts come from?

  1. [1]January 1, 2026 Press Release and Report (Reassessment Group 2) | Maryland State Department of Assessments and TaxationOfficial guide or FAQ · last checked Oct 1, 2026
  2. [2]January 1, 2025 Press Release and Report (Reassessment Group 1) | Maryland State Department of Assessments and TaxationOfficial guide or FAQ · last checked Oct 1, 2026
  3. [3]January 1, 2024 Press Release and Report (Reassessment Group 3) | Maryland State Department of Assessments and TaxationOfficial guide or FAQ · last checked Oct 1, 2026
  4. [4]Tax Forms | Dorchester County, MDOfficial guide or FAQ · last checked Oct 1, 2026
  5. [5]Volunteer Fire Department Member - Property Tax Credit Application | Dorchester County Fire & EMS (revised 7/2024)Official guide or FAQ · last checked Oct 1, 2026
  6. [6]Tax Rates 2026-2027 - Tax Table & Homestead Credit Caps - July 2026 (SDAT PDF)Official guide or FAQ · last checked Oct 1, 2026
  7. [7]Constant Yield Tax Rate 2026 | Maryland State Department of Assessments and TaxationOfficial notice, form, calendar or rules · last checked Oct 1, 2026
  8. [8]FAQs (Treasury Office - Tax Information) | Dorchester County, MDOfficial guide or FAQ · last checked Oct 1, 2026
  9. [9]Assessment Appeal Process | Maryland State Department of Assessments and TaxationOfficial guide or FAQ · last checked Sep 30, 2026
  10. [10]Property Tax Assessment Appeals Board | Dorchester County, MDOfficial guide or FAQ · last checked Oct 1, 2026
  11. [11]Dorchester County Reassessment Areas | Maryland State Department of Assessments and TaxationOfficial guide or FAQ · last checked Sep 30, 2026
  12. [12]Local Tax Billing/Collection Offices | Maryland State Department of Assessments and TaxationOfficial guide or FAQ · last checked Sep 30, 2026
  13. [13]Maryland Assessment Offices | Maryland State Department of Assessments and TaxationOfficial guide or FAQ · last checked Oct 1, 2026
  14. [14]Appeals Boards contact list (AppealsBoardsContacts) | Maryland Property Tax Assessment Appeals BoardsOfficial guide or FAQ · last checked Sep 30, 2026
  15. [15]Maryland Code, Tax - Property § 14-503 (Maryland General Assembly)Statute or regulation · last checked Sep 27, 2026
  16. [16]Maryland Code, Tax - Property § 14-502 (Maryland General Assembly)Statute or regulation · last checked Sep 27, 2026
  17. [17]Assessment Appeal Process | Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation (Wayback capture)Official guide or FAQ · last checked Sep 29, 2026
  18. 18.County open data: md dorchester assessmentsRetrieved Sep 27, 2026; aggregated by us for the charts above.
  19. 19.U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimates, table B25077: Median value (dollars), owner-occupied housing units — Dorchester County, Maryland
  20. 20.U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimates, table B25103: Median real estate taxes paid, owner-occupied housing units — Dorchester County, Maryland
  21. 21.U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimates, table B25003: Tenure (owner- and renter-occupied housing units) — Dorchester County, Maryland

Data credits: Census ACS (public domain) · Census county adjacency (public domain)

Not affiliated with Dorchester County or any government agency. Not legal advice. Not an appraisal.

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