Nobody loves a tax, so the news that the property tax rate is going down next year in several Island towns is perhaps cause for small celebration. Moreover, many homeowners whose homes have simultaneously increased in value won’t see much of a break.

Faced with a year-end deadline for setting rates, Edgartown this week approved a tax rate of just 3.35, 16 per cent below last year’s rate and the lowest since 2010. That means an Edgartown homeowner whose house was valued at $600,000 would pay just over $2,000 a year. The tax rate is also going down in Oak Bluffs and Tisbury, though somewhat more modestly.

Still, it is a good time to be reminded that the state once dubbed Taxachusetts actually has an effective real estate tax lower than any of its New England neighbors. And tax rates for the Island towns are consistently at the low end of the state’s 351 cities and towns. At just under 10 per cent, Tisbury has the highest residential tax rate on the Island, but it is still less than half of poor Longmeadow, which occupies the bottom rung with a tax rate of more than 24 per cent.

In comments on the Gazette’s website this week, Edgartown was rightfully praised for good management, but that of course is only a part of the story. The town’s sustained popularity with affluent seasonal residents who contribute to the tax base, but require fewer year-round services, helps keep taxes reasonable for homeowners who live here all year.

Nobody loves a tax, but for people fortunate enough to own an Island home, it could be much worse.