Think you're property tax bill has risen dramatically in the past few years?

It probably has.

A new state report shows that the average single-family tax bill increased 48 percent between 2000 and 2007.

Four area communities - Attleboro and the King Philip Regional School District communities of Norfolk, Plainville and Wrentham - exceeded that average.

The reason for the increase, according to data from the state Department of Revenue's Division of Local Services: Soaring increases in property values during the first half of the decade. The average value of a single-family home more than doubled during the period in every area community, the state reported. In Attleboro, for instance, the average home was valued at less than $130,000 in 2000. By 2007, it had climbed to almost $310,000.

In terms of tax bills, Norfolk saw the biggest increase - in terms of dollars and percentages - with the average bill climbing by more than $2,100 to $5,803, a jump of almost 57 percent. The smallest climb took place in Seekonk, where the average bill rose by 34 percent.

The tax bill increase in the King Philip towns also saw an increase because of overrides of the state's tax-limiting law known as Proposition 2 1/2, most notably for King Philip Regional High School.

While Proposition 2 1/2 limits how much a community can raise in property taxes, it does not restrict increases in individual properties or in classes of property.

As a result of the skyrocketing price of homes, many businesses may have seen their tax bills remain fairly stable during the first half of the decade, the report said.

The decline in home values in recent months is likely to mean a stabilizing of tax bills, the state said.

Two Western Massachusetts towns saw the largest extremes in tax bills. The average bill in Erving increased by 267 percent, while in Granville the increase was just 13 percent.

Among larger communities in Eastern Massachusetts, Everett (100 percent increase) and Woburn (79 percent), both just north of Boston, saw the biggest increases. Meanwhile, Chatham, at the elbow of Cape Cod, experienced the smallest increase, 24 percent.

MIKE KIRBY can be reached at 508-236-0344 or at mkirby@thesunchronicle.com.