The results of the city’s first full property assessment revaluation since December 31, 2015 are in, and it’s sure to create some sticker shock among property owners of all sizes and types.

However, city officials insist that shock should not turn into full-blown panic over upcoming tax bills at this time.

The full revaluation, which is done every nine years as mandated by state law, involves a more comprehensive process where representatives from the city’s contracted revaluation company (Catalis Tax and CAMA Inc.) has been visiting every property in East Providence since last March and making updates to their estimated value based on criteria such as market supply and demand, and any material upgrades made since the last assessment.

A less involved process, a statistical revaluation, occurs every three years (last done in 2022), and that will be the basis for comparison in this article.

East Providence saw a 24.66% increase in total assessed residential property value, from $4,922,619,187 in 2022 to $6,136,526,968 in 2025. Commercial property total value increased from $1,159,671,665 in 2022 to $1,511,229,086 in 2025 (a 30.32% increase).

You can view the full presentation given by Catalis to the city council by clicking here.

Values increased by the following amounts and percentages since 2022, based on the type of property:

Single-family homes
Previous median assessment (2022): $327,100
Current median assessment (2025): $397,100
Percent change: 21.4%

Multi-family homes
Previous median assessment, 2-family: $350,600
Current median assessment, 2-family: $494,100
Percent change, 2-family: 40.93%

Previous median assessment, 3-family: $399,300
Current median assessment, 3-family: $535,900
Percent change, 3-family: 34.21%

Previous median assessment, 4-family: $428,300
Current median assessment, 4-family: $483,350
Percent change, 4-family: 12.85%

Previous median assessment, 5-family: $431,600
Current median assessment, 5-family: $487,500
Percent change, 5-family: 12.95%

Condos
Previous median assessment: $245,300
Current median assessment: $315,700
Percent change: 28.7%

Commercial property
Previous median assessment: $2,603,800
Current median assessment: $3,119,400
Percent change: 24.21%

Rise in multi-family homes is telling
Among the large increases seen across the board, the drastic increase in value of multi-family homes (particularly 2-family units) demonstrated to city tax assessor, Sarah Frew, that those properties are especially sought after in today's expensive market.
"Multi-families are really in demand, and I think it’s just a reflection of the real estate market," she said. "Because prices are so high, so people tend to want to invest in a multi-family because they can live there and it helps pay for their mortgage."

This does not mean a drastic tax increase
Members of the city council, and Frew, tried to make it clear (including through a direct statement printed on the mailing sent out to residents) that a higher property value does not mean your property taxes will go up by a catastrophically equal percentage.

The City of East Providence already passed its budget for the fiscal year that runs until this upcoming October. With the new property assessments now known, the city will go through the process of determining new tax rates that provides the last piece of the formula to provide the money necessary to fill that budget.

Even if your home is now valued at $500,000 over the $425,000 it was valued at in 2022, you won’t know what your new tax bill will be until that new tax rate is set, which is usually done around the beginning of May. Tax bills are then sent out in the beginning of June, and due July 1.

“People assume because their value went up that their taxes will go up,” Frew said in an interview on Monday. “But it doesn’t necessarily mean that. It could work the same way when values go down. It all has to do with what the tax rate ends up being and what the budget is. It’s not just your assessment by itself. The assessment is just one piece of the puzzle.”

Ward 4 Councilman Rick Lawson provided an example from his own home assessment to illustrate this point, disclosing at the meeting that his home went from a value of $242,000 in 2021 to $452,000 from the most recent evaluation.

“However, I’ve only had my taxes increased $395 in that four-year span,” he said. “So these high assessments doesn’t mean you’re getting slammed with taxes. It is a process, and state law. They have gone up — in my case up $210,000 with no renovations or additions — but I think we have to do a good job as a city communicating to residents that yes, it’s an initial shock, but you have to compare your tax bill from last year to the one you’re going to receive in June to really understand how much more you’re paying in taxes.”

Don’t forget about exemptions
Residents in East Providence have multiple options for tax exemptions, including something that only a handful of other municipalities in the state have — a homestead exemption, which lops 14% right off the top of the tax bill for any East Providence resident who owns their property (provided it is a single-family, 2-family, 3-family, or condo unit).

Additionally, East Providence provides a 14% senior citizen exemption, which can stack on top of the homestead exemption. This is available to all residents who own their homes (single-family, 2-family, 3-family, or condos), and are 65 years of age or older. Frew said that exemption took, on average, about $633 off a person’s property tax bill in 2024.

There are other exemptions available, including multiple exemptions for veterans, an exemption for those who are blind, and a hardship exemption. You can look up these exemptions on the city’s website or contact the tax assessor’s office at 401-435-7574 to learn about them.

Frew said that while there is usually a March 15 deadline to receive an exemption, she said the city will not turn people away until they have finalized the tax rates and are preparing to send out tax bills.

You can dispute an assessment
For those who think Catalis got their home assessment value incorrect, or wish to schedule a time to discuss the assessment in greater detail, you can reach out to 401-737-0300, or visit the tax assessor’s office at East Providence City Hall (on the second floor).

Hearings are being held until April 18, but that date can be extended if there is need for it.