Canterbury last revalued in 2020. The 2024 grand list reflects updated market values as of October 1, 2024. Real estate values rose 49% overall — the mill rate reset lower to keep the total levy roughly flat with the prior year.
Total Grand List
$459M→$638M
+39.1% increase
Real Estate Only
$368M→$550M
+49.3% increase
Mill Rate
23.00→16.76
−27.1% drop
Motor Vehicles
$59M→$55M
−7.5% (new MSRP rules)
FY2025 Tax Revenue
$10,444,562
GL2023 grand list
FY2026 Tax Revenue
$10,583,147
GL2024 grand list
Year-over-Year Change
+$138,585
+1.33% — reval year
Despite the dramatic mill rate drop and widespread reassessments, the town collected only +1.33% more in property tax revenue — consistent with non-revaluation years, where natural grand list growth from new construction and newly registered vehicles typically produces a similar modest increase. The revaluation did not generate a revenue windfall; it redistributed the existing tax burden based on updated property values.
Tax = Net Assessed Value × Mill Rate ÷ 1,000
Old: $X × 23.00 ÷ 1,000 = New: $Y × 16.76 ÷ 1,000
Solving for Y/X → Y must be 137.2% of X → assessment must rise +37.2% to break even
Break-even: +37.2%. Because the mill rate fell 27.1%, a property needed its assessed value to rise by at least 37.2% just to keep its tax bill the same. Assessments above that threshold paid more; assessments below it paid less.
Overview · 2 of 7
Why Did Your Bill Change?
Four factors determined your outcome — each is explored in detail as you page through this analysis.
1 — Commercial vs. Residential
Commercial rose less than residential.
Residential assessments rose an average of +43.7% vs. +23.0% for commercial. Properties whose assessments rose more than the 37.2% break-even paid higher bills.
2 — Motor Vehicles
All vehicle assessments went down.
Connecticut adopted MSRP-based pricing (H.B. 7067). The town-wide motor vehicle grand list fell from $59M to $55M (−7.5%), shifting a slightly larger share of the levy onto real estate owners.
3 — Home Value Differences
Lower-valued homes often rose more in percentage terms.
Appraisal methodology and local market conditions meant lower-value homes frequently saw larger percentage assessment increases than higher-value homes, amplifying the bill increase for some households.
4 — Expanded Tax Relief
Veterans exemption expanded dramatically.
The qualifying veterans exemption grew from $18,000 to $164,600 in sheltered value. Qualifying households saw bills drop sharply. Exempted value shifts a small portion of the levy to other taxpayers.
Context · 1 of 5
The 2024 Revaluation at a Glance
Canterbury last revalued in 2020. The 2024 grand list reflects updated market values as of October 1, 2024. Real estate values rose 49% overall. The mill rate was reset lower to keep the total tax levy roughly flat with the prior year.
Total Grand List
$459M→$638M
+39.1% increase
Real Estate Only
$368M→$550M
+49.3% increase
Mill Rate
23.00→16.76
−27.1% drop
Motor Vehicles
$59M→$55M
−7.5% (new MSRP rules)
Residential Sample (16 households)
Net assessed value: $3,317,730 → $4,701,971(+41.7%)
Avg assessment change: +43.7% — above the 37.2% break-even
Result: sample households paid +3.3% more in aggregate
Commercial Sample (16 properties)
Net assessed value: $7,588,800 → $8,929,400(+17.7%)
Avg assessment change: +23.0% — below the 37.2% break-even
Result: sample properties paid -14.6% less in aggregate
Motor vehicle note: Connecticut adopted new MSRP-based pricing for GL2024. Canterbury used the amended depreciation schedule (H.B. 7067), limiting the drop to −7.5%. Lower vehicle values shift proportionally more of the levy onto real estate owners.
Break-Even · 3 of 7
The Break-Even Point
The mill rate dropped 27.1%, which means properties needed their assessed value to increase by at least that much just to keep their bill the same. The exact break-even is where old and new bills are equal.
▲ Paid More
11 of 16 residential
Their assessed value rose by more than 37.2%, so even with the lower mill rate, their bill increased.
Avg assessment change: +43.7%
▼ Paid Less
13 of 16 commercial
Their assessed value rose by less than 37.2% (or fell), so the mill rate drop outweighed the assessment increase.
Darker bars = properties that paid more (above the +37.2% break-even). Lighter bars = paid less. Properties sorted by assessment change ascending. Veteran household excluded (see Veteran Relief page).
Veteran Relief · 6 of 7
Veteran Tax Relief
New state legislation significantly expanded the property tax exemption available to qualifying veterans. This household is included in the analysis but treated separately from the comparison tables — their outcome was driven by the exemption change, not the revaluation.
Veteran Household — GL2023 vs GL2024
GL2023 (Prior Year)
Gross Assessed$212,360
Exemption−$18,000
Net Taxable Value$194,360
Mill Rate23.00
Tax Bill$4,470.28
GL2024 (Current Year)
Gross Assessed$271,040
Expanded Veterans Exemption−$164,600
Net Taxable Value$106,440
Mill Rate16.76
Tax Bill$1,783.94
Without the expanded exemption, this household would have paid approximately $4,240.95 under the new mill rate
(using the old $18,000 exemption on the $271,040 gross assessment).
The expanded legislation saved this household $2,457.01.
The exemption jumped from $18,000 to $164,600 — a $146,600 increase in sheltered value.
The gross assessed value rose 27.6%, but net taxable value fell 45% due to the exemption.
Why this matters for everyone else: Exemptions remove assessed value from the taxable grand list.
While the assessor's memo notes the town-wide veteran exemption impact was "not significant in light of the revaluation,"
each dollar of exempted value shifts a small amount of the levy onto other taxable properties.
This household's exemption increase of $146,600 in sheltered value
corresponds to roughly $2,457.02 redistributed to other taxpayers at the current mill rate.
Motor Vehicles · 4 of 7
Motor Vehicle Assessments
Connecticut adopted new MSRP-based pricing rules for the GL2024 grand list (H.B. 7067). Every vehicle owner in Canterbury saw their assessment decline — at the same time as the mill rate dropped 27.1%. The result was a double benefit for vehicle owners.
MV Grand List
$59M→$55M
−7.5% decline
Vehicle Owners — Break-Even Result
8 of 10
paid less in vehicle tax
Bottom line for vehicle owners: If you own a car registered in Canterbury, your GL2024 vehicle tax bill reflects both a lower assessed value (MSRP-based) and a lower mill rate (16.76 vs 23.00). Most vehicle owners saw a meaningful reduction in their car tax, independent of what happened to their home assessment.
Motor Vehicle Assessment Change — Same Vehicles, Both Grand Lists
Only vehicles present on both the GL2023 and GL2024 grand lists, sorted ascending. 10 of 16 households had matchable vehicle data. H.B. 7067 MSRP-based pricing reduced most vehicle assessments; HH E and HH B saw increases because the MSRP schedule raised values for some older, heavily-depreciated vehicles above where the prior method had placed them.
Outcomes · 7 of 7
Dollar Outcomes — 16 Commercial + 16 Residential
Absolute dollar change GL2023→GL2024, including real estate and motor vehicle taxes. Sorted from largest savings (left) to largest cost increase (right). Zero line is proportionally positioned: $1,013 cost range (top) vs. $8,806 savings range (bottom). Hover a bar to see real estate vs. auto breakdown.
▲ +$1,013$0−$2K−$4K−$6K−$8K▼ −$8,806
C12
C16
C6
C14
C10
C7
C13
C8
C11
HH H
C4
HH J
C9
C3
HH K
HH N
HH M
C1
HH I
HH L
C2
HH C
HH E
HH D
HH P
HH F
HH O
HH B
HH A
C15
C5
HH G
Residential householdsCommercial properties
Single linear scale across all 31 properties. Bars show net tax bill change in dollars.
Blue = residential, red = commercial — color does not indicate direction.
The −$27K commercial drop vs. +$2K residential increase reflects diverging assessment trajectories: commercial values rose ~18% on average vs. ~44% for residential.
Data · 5 of 7
Residential Households — GL2023 vs GL2024
16 sample households. ▲ indicates assessment rose above the 37.2% break-even (bill went up); ▼ indicates below (bill went down). All figures are net assessed value after exemptions.
HH
Net Assessed Value
Tax Bill
GL2023
GL2024
AssessΔ%
GL2023
GL2024
TaxΔ
TaxΔ%
HH A
$114,700
$198,437
▲ +73.0%
$2,638.10
$3,325.81
+$688
+26.1%
HH B
$123,807
$207,073
▲ +67.3%
$2,847.56
$3,470.53
+$623
+21.9%
HH C
$125,450
$182,111
▲ +45.2%
$2,885.35
$3,051.50
+$166
+5.8%
HH D
$164,800
$236,780
▲ +43.7%
$3,790.40
$3,968.45
+$178
+4.7%
HH E
$189,458
$270,365
▲ +42.7%
$4,357.53
$4,531.34
+$174
+4.0%
HH F
$190,350
$287,170
▲ +50.9%
$4,378.05
$4,812.98
+$435
+9.9%
HH G
$191,070
$322,652
▲ +68.9%
$4,394.61
$5,407.65
+$1,013
+23.1%
HH H
$202,035
$243,568
▼ +20.6%
$4,646.81
$4,082.20
−$565
-12.2%
HH I
$206,635
$285,910
▲ +38.4%
$4,752.61
$4,791.84
+$39
+0.8%
HH J
$216,444
$270,590
▼ +25.0%
$4,978.21
$4,535.09
−$443
-8.9%
HH K
$220,740
$284,490
▼ +28.9%
$5,077.02
$4,768.06
−$309
-6.1%
HH L
$241,157
$334,530
▲ +38.7%
$5,546.61
$5,606.72
+$60
+1.1%
HH M
$254,214
$336,610
▼ +32.4%
$5,846.93
$5,641.59
−$205
-3.5%
HH N
$281,050
$367,815
▼ +30.9%
$6,464.15
$6,164.60
−$300
-4.6%
HH O
$290,200
$429,500
▲ +47.9%
$6,674.60
$7,198.42
+$524
+7.8%
HH P
$305,620
$444,370
▲ +45.4%
$7,029.26
$7,447.64
+$418
+6.0%
Total (16 HH)
$3,317,730
$4,701,971
+41.7%
$76,307.80
$78,804.42
+$2,497
Mill rate: 23.00 (GL2023) → 16.76 (GL2024). Break-even assessment change: +37.2%. Net assessed values include any standing exemptions (homestead, disability, etc.). Veteran household excluded.
Commercial Properties — GL2023 vs GL2024
16 commercial properties. Most saw assessment increases well below the 37.2% break-even. Two properties (C2, C5) paid modestly more; C15 was essentially neutral.
Property
Net Assessed Value
Tax Bill
GL2023
GL2024
AssessΔ%
GL2023
GL2024
TaxΔ
TaxΔ%
C1
$44,900
$51,900
▼ +15.6%
$1,032.70
$869.84
−$163
-15.8%
C2
$95,400
$138,100
▲ +44.8%
$2,413.62
$2,546.01
+$132
+5.5%
C3
$167,700
$207,000
▼ +23.4%
$3,857.10
$3,469.32
−$388
-10.1%
C4
$156,700
$208,800
▼ +33.2%
$3,964.51
$3,499.50
−$465
-11.7%
C5
$183,300
$305,100
▲ +66.4%
$3,715.90
$4,613.48
+$898
+24.2%
C6
$329,100
$281,700
▼ -14.4%
$7,569.30
$4,721.30
−$2,848
-37.6%
C7
$288,600
$341,700
▼ +18.4%
$6,637.80
$5,726.90
−$911
-13.7%
C8
$291,700
$364,200
▼ +24.9%
$6,709.10
$6,104.00
−$605
-9.0%
C9
$399,600
$525,100
▼ +31.4%
$9,190.80
$8,800.68
−$390
-4.2%
C10
$604,300
$689,100
▼ +14.0%
$13,898.90
$11,549.32
−$2,350
-16.9%
C11
$516,500
$677,100
▼ +31.1%
$13,067.45
$12,483.02
−$584
-4.5%
C12
$908,200
$768,700
▼ -15.4%
$22,977.46
$14,171.75
−$8,806
-38.3%
C13
$718,500
$936,400
▼ +30.3%
$16,525.50
$15,694.06
−$831
-5.0%
C14
$898,500
$1,064,700
▼ +18.5%
$20,665.50
$17,844.38
−$2,821
-13.7%
C15
$824,200
$1,175,000
▲ +42.6%
$20,852.26
$21,662.30
+$810
+3.9%
C16
$1,161,600
$1,194,800
▼ +2.9%
$29,388.48
$22,027.33
−$7,361
-25.0%
Total (16 props)
$7,588,800
$8,929,400
+17.7%
$182,466.38
$155,783.19
−$26,683
Commercial properties are labeled C1–C16 for privacy. Break-even assessment change: +37.2%. Properties marked ▲ paid more; ▼ paid less.