Rhode Island property tax guide

Rhode Island has no county government, so each city and town sets its own property tax rates, often a different one for each class of property. This guide explains which rate applies to a home, how revaluations work and how to appeal.

Cities and towns covered
36FY2026 rates
Median residential tax rate
12.545per $1,000
Range
4.790–21.520per $1,000
Rates published by
Rhode Island Division of Municipal Finance

Rates by class

The Division of Municipal Finance publishes each city and town's tax rates by class of property: residential real estate, commercial real estate, personal property and motor vehicles. Rates are dollars per $1,000 of assessed value. Many towns tax all real estate at one rate. Others, especially the larger cities, set a lower residential rate than their commercial rate.

This site uses the residential real estate rate, the one that applies to most homes. In FY2026, the middle residential rate is $12.545 per $1,000. Rates run from $4.790 in Little Compton to $21.520 in Foster.

The state's file is for fiscal year FY2026, using assessments as of December 31, 2024, as the state's file notes. Rates are rounded to two decimals by the state.

How property is valued

State law says "All real property subject to taxation shall be assessed at its full and fair cash value," as of December 31 in the year of the town's last revaluation or update. In other words, assessments are meant to track market value as of that date, not a fixed fraction of it.

Revaluations and updates

Every city and town runs on a fixed cycle. State law requires a full revaluation "within nine (9) years of the date of the prior revaluation," and an update of real property "every three (3) years from the last revaluation."

Because towns are on different cycles, their rates jump at different times. When a town updates its values in a rising market, its rate usually falls, since the same budget is spread over a larger total value. In the FY2026 file, the state flags towns that "had a revaluation or statistical update effective 12/31/24." Their pages show that note.

Cities with special rules

A few cities don't fit the simple residential-and-commercial split, and the state explains them in numbered notes. The most important:

  • Providence taxes residential property at six different rates depending on owner occupancy and number of units. The residential rate shown here, $8.40, is the state's figure for owner-occupied single-family homes. Non-owner-occupied single-family homes pay $14.60. The full list is on the Providence page.
  • West Warwick taxes real property at four rates. Its one-family rate appears only in the state's notes, not in the residential column, so we haven't published West Warwick until it can be shown correctly.
  • Cumberland and East Providence: the state's notes say their figures are for fiscal year 2025, not 2026, so they're held back from the FY2026 tables.

Relief

The state offers a property tax relief credit to qualifying homeowners and renters, claimed on Form RI-1040H through the Division of Taxation. Exemptions such as homestead, elderly and veterans' exemptions are set by each city or town, so the amounts differ from place to place. Your assessor's office has the local rules and forms.

Appealing your assessment

An appeal starts with your local tax assessor. State law sets the filing deadline as "on or before November 15 of each year, but not less than ninety (90) days after the first tax payment is due." Your assessor's office can confirm the exact date for your town.

If you disagree with the assessor's decision, you can appeal to the local tax board of review within 30 days of the decision. If the assessor hasn't decided by December 31, the deadline is January 31. After the board, you can petition the Superior Court within 30 days of its written decision.

What this data leaves out

  • Fire districts. Some towns have fire districts that levy their own tax, which isn't included in the town rate.
  • Earlier years. History starts with fiscal year FY2026. Earlier years will be added from the state's past publications.

A worked example with real rates

Warwick sits near the middle of Rhode Island's rates. Its FY2026 residential tax rate is 12.700 per $1,000.

On an assessed value of $350,000, that is $350,000 × 12.700 ÷ 1,000 = $4,445 a year, before exemptions or credits.

The same home in another town can owe far more or less, so look up your own on the Rhode Island rates page, or use the property tax calculator.

Sources

Every statement in this guide comes from one of these publications. Rates on this site are copied from the state file listed first, exactly as published.

  1. Rhode Island Division of Municipal Finance, FY 2026 Rhode Island Tax Rates by Class of Property (assessment date December 31, 2024)
  2. R.I. Gen. Laws § 44-5-12, Assessment at full and fair cash value
  3. R.I. Gen. Laws § 44-5-11.6, Revaluation and update schedule
  4. R.I. Gen. Laws § 44-5-26, Petition for relief from assessment
  5. Rhode Island Division of Taxation (Form RI-1040H, Property Tax Relief Claim)

This guide explains how the system works. It isn't legal or tax advice, and local rules and dates can change. Your assessor, tax collector or the agency linked above has the final word. Last reviewed 2026-10-26. Spotted an error? Email [email protected].