Mill rate
Definition
A mill rate is the property tax rate expressed as dollars owed per $1,000 of assessed value.1 One mill equals $1 in tax per $1,000 assessed. Cities, counties, school districts, and other taxing bodies each set their own mill rate, and the sum determines a property's total tax bill.
Why it matters
Because several separate governments each set a piece of the mill rate, a homeowner's total tax bill can rise even if the city council never changed its own rate, if the school board or county did. Tracking who raised it requires checking multiple budgets, not just city hall's.
Seen in the wild
For fiscal year 2025-26, Hartford, Connecticut held the state's highest mill rate at 68.95, compared to Washington, Connecticut's lowest at 10.85, showing how much total property tax burden can vary town to town purely from the locally set mill rate, apart from any difference in assessed value.2