For many Americans, owning a home is the American dream come true. But for some Maryland property owners, it’s turning into a nightmare. Recent property tax reassessments have resulted in increases as high as 35% and some can’t afford it.
Chris Carper, a homeowner and landlord in the greater Ocean City area, spoke with Spotlight on Maryland about what the increase means for his family and his business.
“My personal residence … is going up 31.2%,” Carper told Fox Baltimore. “I have another rental property that is going up 24%, another that’s going up 35.3%”
The new assessment, which shocked and angered him, will put him back in a similar position he was in when he left Baltimore City for Worcester County. That move was prompted by the area’s high cost of living and crime rates.
Higher prices mean that Carper won’t be able to retire. And he’s not alone.
Maryland’s Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT) is required by law to automatically reassess one-third of the two million taxable residential and commercial properties annually. That means every Maryland property is assessed once every three years.
Carper’s home and all four of his rental homes were among the 767,226 properties reassessed for the upcoming 2025 tax year. According to the SDAT, the average residential property increased in value by 25.6%, while commercial properties rose 17.6% over the three years since the last assessment.
The state is taking steps to help property owners manage the overall increase of 20.6%. SDAT Director Michael Higgs assuaged fears through a release on the government website.
“SDAT is pleased to provide our customers with new and improved reassessment notices this year and, as part of our Tax Credit Awareness Campaign, each reassessment notice includes information about the Departments’ homeowners and Homestead Tax Credits, which save Marylanders more than $260 million in taxes each year,” he wrote.
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