Stamford mill rate: what it is and how it affects your tax bill

Last updated 2026-07-10

What is a mill rate and how does Stamford calculate it?

A mill rate is the dollars of tax you owe per $1,000 of assessed value. One mill equals $1 per $1,000, or 0.1 percent. Stamford sets its rate every fiscal year when the Board of Finance and Board of Representatives sign off on the budget.

Connecticut law makes every town assess real property at 70% of fair market value ^[1]. So if your home would sell for $500,000, the assessor puts your assessed value at $350,000. You multiply that by the mill rate written as a decimal. At 16.958 mills, that is $350,000 × 0.016958 = $5,935.30 before any exemptions come off.

The rate is a quotient. Take the part of the budget funded by property taxes, divide it by the total net taxable grand list, and there is your mill rate. Spend more or watch the grand list shrink, and the rate climbs. Add value through new construction or a revaluation, and the rate can fall even while spending rises. Stamford's downtown office corridor carries a big chunk of the load, which holds the residential rate below what a bedroom town would need.

Stamford runs two rates, not one. Real property and motor vehicles share one rate; business personal property (equipment and fixtures) gets its own. The FY 2025-2026 real property rate is 16.958 ^[2]. Motor vehicles are capped statewide at 32.46 mills under Connecticut's motor vehicle mill rate cap, but Stamford sits well below that ceiling anyway.

What is Stamford's current mill rate for 2025-2026?

For fiscal year 2025-2026 (July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026), Stamford's mill rate on real property and motor vehicles is 16.958 mills ^[2]. That number applies to the October 1, 2024 grand list.

Stamford completed a revaluation effective October 1, 2022. The reval pushed most residential assessments up hard, so the city cut the mill rate to soften the blow. That is standard practice. State law does not cap the levy, but stacking a big rate hike on top of a big assessment jump is a political nonstarter. Plenty of Stamford owners still opened higher bills after the 2022 reval even with the lower rate.

Here is how Stamford's mill rate has moved over recent fiscal years ^[2][3]:

Fiscal Year	Real Property Mill Rate
2020-2021	25.96
2021-2022	24.21
2022-2023	19.17
2023-2024	17.25
2024-2025	16.783
2025-2026	16.958

The drop from 25.96 to 19.17 in FY 2022-2023 is the post-reval reset. Assessed values roughly doubled in many residential pockets, so a cut of about 6 mills was needed just to keep bills near flat. Some owners paid more. Some paid less. It came down to whether your specific property was reassessed above or below the town-wide average change.

How does Stamford's mill rate compare to Westport and other Fairfield County towns?

Fairfield County holds some of the widest mill rate gaps in Connecticut. Westport's FY 2025-2026 rate runs around 16.86 mills ^[4], nearly identical to Stamford's 16.958. But matching rates hide very different bills, because Westport's median home is assessed far above Stamford's.

Mill rates alone tell you almost nothing about affordability. A town charging 10 mills on $1,000,000 assessed values bills $10,000 a year. A town charging 30 mills on $200,000 assessed values bills $6,000. You have to run assessed value times rate. Every time.

Here is how mill rates across Fairfield County and nearby cities compare for FY 2024-2025 ^[3][5]:

Town	Approx. Mill Rate (FY 2024-2025)
Greenwich	11.58
New Canaan	16.33
Darien	16.47
Stamford	16.783
Westport	16.86
Fairfield	24.83
Bridgeport	43.45
Waterbury	60.21

Bridgeport and Waterbury sit near the top of the state ladder because their commercial bases are thin against the spending load. Greenwich sits at the bottom because its grand list, anchored by extraordinarily high residential values, is enormous relative to its population.

So yes, Stamford has a low mill rate next to Bridgeport or Hartford. The dollar burden is still real, because assessed values run high. A Stamford single-family home assessed at $400,000 pays roughly $6,783 a year at the current rate, before exemptions ^[2].

How do I calculate my Stamford property tax bill from the mill rate?

The formula is short: (Assessed Value ÷ 1,000) × Mill Rate = Annual Tax Before Exemptions.

Assessed value in Connecticut is 70% of the assessor's estimate of your property's October 1 fair market value ^[1]. The assessor calls that estimate the appraised value. You can find your assessed value on the Stamford Assessor's online database or on your tax bill.

Example. The assessor estimates your home's market value at $700,000. Assessed value is $700,000 × 0.70 = $490,000. At 16.958 mills: ($490,000 ÷ 1,000) × 16.958 = $8,309.42 per year, paid in two installments.

Stamford bills twice a year. The first installment is due July 1 and goes delinquent August 1. The second is due January 1 and goes delinquent February 1. Interest on late payments runs at 1.5% per month (18% per year) from the due date, with a minimum $2.00 charge, per Connecticut General Statutes § 12-145 ^[6].

If you qualify for exemptions, the city subtracts them from assessed value before applying the rate. The exemptions most Stamford homeowners use are the veteran's exemption and, for older or lower-income owners, the elderly and totally disabled relief programs. Those can freeze or shave the bill hard. A section below covers them.

What drives the mill rate up or down each year in Stamford?

Two numbers set the rate: the total budget appropriation and the net taxable grand list. The city passes the budget first. Then the rate falls out of dividing the tax-funded portion of that budget by the grand list.

Stamford's grand list has grown steadily for a decade on the back of downtown development. Harbor Point and the South End have added hundreds of millions in assessed commercial and residential value. When the grand list grows, the city can hold the rate flat or cut it even with modest spending increases. That is the main reason the rate has trended down since the revaluation.

What could push it back up: a major commercial property losing value (a big office tower going vacant or coming down without a replacement), rising pension costs, state aid cuts, or a soft market that shrinks the grand list at the next reval.

Connecticut revaluations run on a mandatory clock. Connecticut General Statutes § 12-62 requires municipalities to revalue all real property at least once every five years ^[7]. Stamford's last reval landed October 1, 2022, so the next full one is due October 1, 2027. In between, the assessed value on your bill stays frozen at the last reval figure unless you trigger a reassessment, like pulling a building permit for real work.

How does Connecticut's 70% assessment ratio affect what Stamford homeowners actually pay?

Connecticut is one of the few states with a statutory, statewide assessment ratio. Connecticut General Statutes § 12-64 sets real property assessment at 70% of "present true and actual value" ^[1]. That single number shapes your bill and your appeal rights.

The assessor estimates market value as of October 1 of the reval year, then sets the assessment at 70% of it. Say the assessor calls your home worth $600,000. Assessed value is $420,000, and the mill rate hits that number.

Here is the practical takeaway. You challenge your bill by challenging the market value estimate, never the mill rate. The rate is identical for every parcel in the city. If your neighbor's house matches yours in value but carries a lower assessment, that is a real appeal ground. If the assessor's market value is simply higher than what your home would fetch, that is a real appeal ground too.

The 70% figure is a target, not a hard ceiling on any single property. After a reval, individual homes drift above or below 70% as the market moves between the assessment date and today. The State of Connecticut Office of Policy and Management (OPM) tracks equalization ratios and publishes annual sales-ratio studies ^[5]. If Stamford's aggregate ratio drifts far, OPM adjusts state aid math accordingly.

What exemptions can lower your Stamford property tax bill?

Stamford runs several state-mandated and locally enhanced exemption programs. The ones that matter most to individual homeowners:

Elderly and Totally Disabled Tax Relief (Circuit Breaker). Connecticut's state program under CGS § 12-170aa gives credits to qualifying older homeowners ^[8]. Stamford's locally enhanced version extends relief to owners age 65 or older (or totally disabled at any age) who meet income limits. Those limits and benefit amounts are set locally and updated over time. Apply through the Stamford Assessor's office; the deadline is typically May 15.

Veteran's Exemption. Under CGS § 12-81, honorably discharged veterans get a basic exemption of $1,500 off assessed value (worth about $25 a year at current rates), with larger exemptions for disabled veterans and surviving spouses ^[9]. A veteran with a 100% service-connected disability can qualify for a full exemption. File with the Assessor and bring a DD-214.

Homeowner's Freeze (Local Option). Some Connecticut towns cap tax increases for qualifying seniors. Stamford runs a local freeze for income-eligible homeowners 70 and older. Current thresholds are on the Stamford Assessor's page.

Other exemptions under CGS § 12-81 cover blind persons, farm machinery, and certain non-profit uses. For most homeowners, the elderly relief and veteran's programs are the two worth chasing.

None of these run automatically. You apply, and you reapply on the program's schedule. Miss the deadline and you usually wait a full year.

Can you appeal your Stamford property assessment, and how?

Yes. If the assessor overvalued your property, you have a right to appeal. Connecticut runs the process in two stages.

Stage 1: Board of Assessment Appeals (BAA). In a normal year, the written application is due by the last business day in February. Following a revaluation year, the deadline extends to March 20, per CGS § 12-111 ^[10]. You file with the Stamford Board of Assessment Appeals, which then schedules a hearing, usually in March or April. You present evidence, the assessor can answer, and the BAA rules in writing.

Stage 2: Superior Court. If the BAA denies you or you dislike its decision, you can appeal to Connecticut Superior Court within two months of that decision, per CGS § 12-117a ^[10]. This route costs more and usually makes sense only for high-value commercial property or a very large overassessment.

What wins at the BAA? Recent comparable sales. Pull three to five sales of homes like yours in square footage, age, condition, and neighborhood that closed near October 1, 2022 (the last reval date). If those sales point to a lower market value than the assessor used, you have a case. A licensed appraisal is the strongest evidence but runs $400 to $800. For a lot of homeowners, a clean comp packet does the job.

Want a step-by-step framework for pulling comps and drafting your BAA application without handing a contingency firm 30% to 50% of your first-year savings? The TaxFightBack DIY appeal kit walks Connecticut homeowners through the exact process.

One honest note. BAA panels in wealthy Connecticut towns do cut assessments, and they also rubber-stamp the assessor plenty. Your evidence matters more than your delivery. Show up with printed comps from the MLS or Zillow, the assessor's field card for your property, and a one-page summary showing the gap between your estimated value and the assessor's assessed value divided by 0.70.

How does Stamford's mill rate affect commercial property owners differently?

Commercial property pays the same mill rate as residential (16.958 mills for FY 2025-2026), but the economics play out differently.

Commercial properties get valued by an income approach (income capitalization), often instead of the sales comparison method used for homes. For a downtown office tower, the assessor looks at net operating income and capitalization rates, not recent condo sales. So commercial assessments can swing hard on vacancy rates and lease terms.

Connecticut's personal property tax also applies to business equipment, furniture, and fixtures at that same mill rate. Own a business in Stamford, and you file a personal property declaration with the Assessor by November 1 each year. That equipment gets assessed and taxed annually, separate from the real estate.

Big commercial taxpayers have more reason and more money to appeal. Many Stamford owners appeal every reval cycle. Some negotiate assessment reductions directly with the city on major properties, which is legal under Connecticut law, and those settlements land before any formal hearing.

For residential owners wondering how the commercial base touches them: Stamford's downtown properties carry a disproportionate share of the total tax levy. That cross-subsidy is a big reason the residential mill rate stays below comparable-size Connecticut cities with weaker commercial bases.

What should you do if your Stamford assessment went up after the 2022 revaluation?

A lot of Stamford homeowners got hit with notices showing assessed values 40% to 60% above the prior cycle. The shock is fair. But the right question is not whether the number climbed. It is whether the assessor's implied market value (your assessed value divided by 0.70) matches what your home would actually sell for as of October 1, 2022.

Start here. Look up your property on the Stamford Assessor's online database and find your assessed value and the assessor's appraised value. Divide assessed value by 0.70 to back into the implied market value if it is not shown. Then check what similar homes nearby actually sold for in the six months on either side of October 1, 2022. Zillow, Redfin, and the Connecticut Secretary of the State's land records let you pull recorded sales.

If the comps support a lower market value than the assessor used, you have an appealable case. The overassessment usually worth chasing is at least $20,000 in assessed value, because a $20,000 reduction saves about $339 a year at 16.958 mills. That is real money over the cycle, but weigh it against the hours of building a BAA packet.

If the gap is bigger, say $50,000 or more in assessed value, the annual savings ($848 or more) stacks up and an appeal almost always pays. The next reval is not until October 1, 2027, so a reduction you win in 2023 or later holds for years.

The BAA deadline in a non-revaluation year is the last business day in February ^[10]. Missed the window after the 2022 reval? You can still appeal in a later year if you believe the value is still wrong.

Where do you find the official Stamford mill rate and assessor data?

The authoritative source for Stamford's current rate is the City of Stamford Tax Collector's office and the Board of Finance budget documents, both on the city's official site at stamfordct.gov ^[2]. The rate shows up in the annual budget ordinance and on the tax collector's FAQ page.

For your assessed value and property record card (the assessor's detailed description of your property), use the Stamford Assessor's online database, also at stamfordct.gov. The field card lists square footage, bedroom count, condition grade, and the other factors behind your value. Errors on that card, a finished basement marked unfinished or an addition not yet reflected, are grounds for appeal.

For statewide comparisons and equalization data, the Connecticut Office of Policy and Management publishes the annual Municipal Fiscal Indicators report and the assessment ratio study ^[5]. That OPM data is what most lawyers and appraisers reach for when comparing mill rates across Connecticut towns.

For statutes, the State of Connecticut publishes the full text of Title 12 (Taxation) through the Connecticut Judicial Branch law library and the General Assembly. Title 12 carries the assessment and appeal provisions ^{[1][6][7][9][10]}. Fifteen minutes reading the actual statute before a BAA hearing pays for itself.

Frequently asked questions

What is Stamford CT's mill rate for 2025-2026?

Stamford's mill rate on real property for fiscal year 2025-2026 (July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026) is 16.958 mills. That means $16.958 in annual tax per $1,000 of assessed value. Connecticut law sets assessed value at 70% of market value, so a home the assessor values at $600,000 has an assessed value of $420,000 and a tax bill of about $7,122 before exemptions.

How does the Stamford mill rate compare to other Connecticut towns?

Stamford's 16.958 mills ranks among the lowest in Connecticut, roughly level with Westport (around 16.86 mills) and New Canaan (around 16.33 mills). It sits far below Bridgeport (around 43 mills) and Waterbury (around 60 mills). Greenwich undercuts them all near 11.58 mills. Low mill rates do not always mean low tax bills; assessed value determines the actual dollar amount you owe.

What is the mill rate in Westport CT compared to Stamford?

Westport's FY 2024-2025 mill rate is about 16.86 mills, essentially the same as Stamford's 16.783 for that year. But Westport's median home is assessed much higher than Stamford's median, so the dollar tax bills in Westport tend to run larger for comparable properties. The matching mill rates do not mean homeowners in the two towns pay the same amount.

When is the Stamford property tax due date?

Stamford sends real property tax bills in two installments. The first is due July 1 and becomes delinquent August 1. The second is due January 1 and becomes delinquent February 1. Late payments accrue interest at 1.5% per month (18% annually) from the original due date, per Connecticut General Statutes § 12-145, with a minimum $2.00 interest charge.

How do I appeal my Stamford property assessment?

File a written application with the Stamford Board of Assessment Appeals by the last business day in February. Following a revaluation year, the deadline extends to March 20. At the hearing, bring printed comparable sales from around October 1, 2022 (the last reval date) showing your home's market value was lower than the assessor used. If the BAA denies you, you can appeal to Connecticut Superior Court within two months of the decision under CGS § 12-117a.

What is the assessment ratio in Connecticut and how does it affect my tax bill?

Connecticut law (CGS § 12-64) requires all real property to be assessed at 70% of fair market value. So if the assessor estimates your home's market value at $500,000, your assessed value is $350,000. The mill rate applies to the assessed value, not the market value. The 70% ratio is uniform statewide, which means the right appeal target is always the assessor's market value estimate, not the ratio itself.

Does Stamford offer any property tax exemptions for seniors or veterans?

Yes. Stamford runs state and locally enhanced programs. The elderly and totally disabled circuit breaker program (CGS § 12-170aa) provides tax credits or freezes for qualifying homeowners age 65 or older who meet income limits; the deadline is typically May 15. Veterans get a basic exemption off assessed value under CGS § 12-81, with larger benefits for disabled veterans. Every program requires a formal application to the Stamford Assessor's office.

Why did my Stamford tax bill go up after the 2022 revaluation if the mill rate went down?

The mill rate dropped sharply after the 2022 reval (from about 24 mills to about 19 mills), but many Stamford assessed values rose 40% to 60%. If your assessed value rose more than the rate fell, your bill went up. The math: a 50% assessment increase against only a 25% rate cut still produces a higher bill. The only fix is to appeal the assessed value if the assessor's market value estimate ran too high.

When is Stamford's next property tax revaluation?

The next full revaluation is due October 1, 2027, because Connecticut General Statutes § 12-62 requires revaluation at least once every five years and Stamford's last reval was October 1, 2022. Until then, your assessed value stays frozen at the 2022 figure unless you pull a major building permit or the city runs an interim adjustment. The 2027 reval resets everyone's values to current market conditions.

How is the Stamford mill rate set each year?

The city calculates the rate after the annual budget passes. The formula is: total tax levy required divided by the net taxable grand list, times 1,000. If the grand list grows from new construction or rising values, the rate can hold flat or fall even when spending rises. Stamford's downtown development has been a steady grand list driver, one reason the residential rate has trended lower since 2020.

What is Stamford's mill rate for personal property and motor vehicles?

Stamford applies the same rate to personal property (business equipment and fixtures) as to real property, currently 16.958 mills for FY 2025-2026. Motor vehicles are taxed at this rate too, and since it falls below Connecticut's statewide motor vehicle cap of 32.46 mills, no separate cap adjustment touches Stamford vehicle owners. Personal property declarations are due to the Stamford Assessor by November 1 each year.

Where can I find my Stamford assessed value and property record card?

The Stamford Assessor maintains an online property database at stamfordct.gov where you can search by address and pull your current assessed value and field card. The field card lists the characteristics the assessor used to value your property, including square footage, condition grade, and structures. Errors on the card (a wrong room count, missing depreciation) are among the easiest grounds to win an appeal.

Is the Stamford mill rate the same everywhere in the city, or does it vary by neighborhood?

The mill rate is uniform across all of Stamford; there are no neighborhood-level rate districts for general property taxation. Every parcel on the October 1 grand list is taxed at the same rate. But assessed values swing enormously by neighborhood because the assessor estimates market value block by block. The tax bill difference between Shippan and the North End reflects assessed value differences, not mill rate differences.

Sources

1. Connecticut Office of Legislative Research / State of Connecticut, General Statutes Title 12 (Taxation), CGS § 12-64 (Assessment of real estate): Connecticut law requires real property to be assessed at 70% of present true and actual value
2. City of Stamford, Tax Collector and Board of Finance budget documents: Stamford's FY 2025-2026 real property mill rate is 16.958; historical mill rates from FY 2020-2021 onward
3. Connecticut Office of Policy and Management, Municipal Fiscal Indicators: Historical mill rate data for Connecticut municipalities including Stamford and Fairfield County towns
4. Town of Westport CT, Tax Assessor mill rate information: Westport FY 2024-2025 mill rate is approximately 16.86 mills
5. Connecticut Office of Policy and Management, Annual Equalization and Assessment Ratio Study: OPM publishes sales-ratio studies and monitors equalization ratios across Connecticut towns; Bridgeport mill rate approximately 43.45, Waterbury approximately 60.21, Greenwich approximately 11.58 for FY 2024-2025
6. State of Connecticut, General Statutes Title 12 (Taxation), CGS § 12-145 (Interest on delinquent taxes): Interest on late property tax payments accrues at 1.5% per month (18% per year) from the due date, minimum charge $2.00
7. State of Connecticut, General Statutes Title 12 (Taxation), CGS § 12-62 (Revaluation of real property): Connecticut municipalities must revalue all real property at least once every five years
8. State of Connecticut, General Statutes Title 12 (Taxation), CGS § 12-170aa (Elderly and totally disabled tax relief): State circuit breaker program provides property tax credits to qualifying homeowners age 65 or older or totally disabled who meet income thresholds
9. State of Connecticut, General Statutes Title 12 (Taxation), CGS § 12-81 (Property tax exemptions list): Honorably discharged veterans receive a basic exemption of $1,500 off assessed value; disabled veterans and surviving spouses qualify for larger exemptions
10. State of Connecticut, General Statutes Title 12 (Taxation), CGS § 12-111 and § 12-117a (Board of Assessment Appeals and Superior Court appeal): BAA appeal deadline is last business day of February; following a revaluation year the deadline extends to March 20; Superior Court appeal must be filed within two months of BAA decision