New Hampshire / Grafton County / Dorchester
2025 rate · set by the DRA October 28, 2025
Dorchester property tax rate
Dorchester's 2025 property tax rate is $16.11 per $1,000 of assessed value. A property assessed at $300,000 owes $4,833.00 for the year. That ranks 131st highest of New Hampshire's 234 towns and cities, $0.79 below the $16.90 state median.
- 1Local school $7.55
- 2State education $0.89
- 3County $0.96
- 4Municipal $6.71
- 5Bill on $300,000 $4,833
Your Dorchester tax bill
The bill before exemptions and credits. Village district or precinct taxes, where they apply, are billed on top. Compare another town.
Where Dorchester's $16.11 goes
The rate is four rates added together. The local school rate is the biggest piece at $7.55, 47% of the total. Together the two school rates (local $7.55 and state education $0.89) come to $8.44, or 52% of every tax dollar. The municipal rate of $6.71 funds Dorchester's own town budget, and the county rate of $0.96 is Dorchester's share of the Grafton County budget.
| Part of the rate | Dorchester | Share | NH median | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Municipal | $6.71 | 42% | $4.59 | +$2.12 |
| County | $0.96 | 6% | $1.34 | −$0.38 |
| Local school | $7.55 | 47% | $9.75 | −$2.20 |
| State education | $0.89 | 6% | $1.13 | −$0.24 |
| Total | $16.11 | 100% | $16.90 | −$0.79 |
Medians are taken part by part across all 234 municipalities, so the four part medians do not add up to the median total.
Dorchester's rate in 2024 and 2025
The total rate rose $1.21 (8.12%) from $14.90 in 2024, and the part that moved most was the municipal rate, up $0.84. Over the same year Dorchester's assessed valuation (without utilities) went from $87,791,785 to $89,321,855, up 1.74%. With the tax base nearly flat, the higher rate passes straight through to bills: the same $300,000 assessment owes $363.00 more than in 2024.
Tax on common assessed values in Dorchester
| Assessed value | 2025 bill | At the 2024 rate | Versus NH median rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| $200,000 | $3,222.00 | $2,980.00 | −$158.00 |
| $300,000 | $4,833.00 | $4,470.00 | −$237.00 |
| $400,000 | $6,444.00 | $5,960.00 | −$316.00 |
| $500,000 | $8,055.00 | $7,450.00 | −$395.00 |
| $750,000 | $12,082.50 | $11,175.00 | −$592.50 |
Each figure is the assessed value divided by 1,000 and multiplied by the rate, before exemptions and credits. These are assessed values, the number printed on a Dorchester bill, not sale prices: New Hampshire towns assess as of April 1 and many sit above or below market value between revaluations, so a $300,000 assessment can belong to a house that would sell for more or less. The "2024 rate" column applies last year's $14.90 to the same assessment.
How Dorchester compares in Grafton County and the state
Among the 39 municipalities in Grafton County, Dorchester ranks 19th highest; the county median is $15.94, so Dorchester sits $0.17 above it. The next higher rate in the county is Bethlehem at $16.19, and the next lower is Franconia at $15.94. Statewide, 44% of municipalities have a lower total rate than Dorchester; in 2024 it ranked 164th.
Municipalities with the closest rates anywhere in the state: Gilsum ($16.13, Cheshire), Wilmot ($16.09, Merrimack), Acworth ($16.06, Sullivan), Bethlehem ($16.19, Grafton). A rate only compares bills fairly between towns that assess at a similar share of market value; the DRA's equalization ratio for each town measures that share, and the guide to assessed and market value explains how to use it.
What Dorchester raises and from what base
The DRA set Dorchester's 2025 rate on October 28, 2025 against a total assessed valuation of $91,710,155 including utilities, of which $2,388,300 (2.6%) is utility property. The state education rate applies only to the $89,321,855 without utilities (RSA 76:3). The total commitment, the property tax Dorchester bills for the year, is $1,465,825, about $4,324 for each of the 339 residents counted in the 2020 census. The four rates applied to the two valuations raise $1,475,325; the commitment is $9,500 lower because the DRA's rate calculation subtracts the veterans' (war service) tax credits the town grants.
Appealing a Dorchester assessment
Abatement starts with Dorchester, not the state. When the final 2025 bill is mailed by December 31, 2025, the written application goes to the selectmen or assessors by March 1, 2026 (RSA 76:16, I(b)), the town decides by July 1, and an appeal to the Board of Tax and Land Appeals ($65 fee) or superior court is due by September 1, 2026. A bill mailed after December 31 moves each date to two, six and eight months after the mailing. The Board compares the assessment divided by the town's equalization ratio with the property's market value on April 1; the New Hampshire appeal page sets out the full procedure and the appeal check does that division.
Dorchester property tax questions
What is the property tax rate in Dorchester, NH?
Dorchester's 2025 total rate is $16.11 per $1,000 of assessed value: municipal $6.71, county $0.96, local school $7.55 and state education $0.89. The Department of Revenue Administration set it on October 28, 2025.
How much is the property tax on a $300,000 home in Dorchester?
A property assessed at $300,000 owes $4,833.00 for the 2025 tax year ($300,000 ÷ 1,000 × $16.11), before any exemption or credit. At the 2024 rate the same assessment owed $4,470.00.
Is Dorchester's tax rate high for New Hampshire?
It ranks 131st highest of 234 municipalities. The statewide median is $16.90, so Dorchester is $0.79 below it. Rates are per $1,000 of each town's own assessed value, and towns assess at different shares of market value, so the DRA's equalization ratio matters when comparing bills.
What is the deadline to appeal a Dorchester property assessment?
For a final 2025 bill mailed by December 31, 2025, the written abatement application goes to the selectmen or assessors by March 1, 2026 (RSA 76:16). An appeal to the Board of Tax and Land Appeals or superior court follows by September 1, 2026 (RSA 76:16-a, 76:17).
Sources: NH Department of Revenue Administration, 2025 Municipal Tax Rates (completed as of January 23, 2026) (DRA; copy read) and NH Department of Revenue Administration, 2024 Municipal Tax Rates (completed as of June 9, 2025) (copy read); county and 2020 population from Wikipedia's list of NH municipalities. Last checked October 20, 2026. This page explains published figures; it is not tax or legal advice.