Estimate your Pennsylvania property tax based on the state's 1.35% average effective rate. Enter your home value for an instant, free calculation.
Enter any tax exemption amount you qualify for in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania runs property tax entirely at the county level, with no uniform statewide homestead exemption. Because counties reassess on very different schedules, the state publishes a Common Level Ratio each year so assessments can be compared fairly to market value.
Each county sets its own assessed values, and the state publishes an annual Common Level Ratio (CLR) showing the assessed-to-market ratio in each county. Combined county, municipal, and school-district millage (1 mill = $1 per $1,000 of assessed value) is applied to assessed value. Since reassessment frequency differs by county, effective rates — not mill rates — are the meaningful comparison.
| Home Value | Estimated Annual Tax | Monthly (Escrow) |
|---|---|---|
| $250,000 (median) | $3,375 | $281/mo |
| $255,000 (median) | $3,442 | $287/mo |
| $600,000 | $8,100 | $675/mo |
Effective rates vary within Pennsylvania. These figures are median-tax-to-median-value estimates from U.S. Census ACS data (2019–2023 5-year) for some of the most populous counties:
| County | Effective Rate |
|---|---|
| Philadelphia County | 0.83% |
| Allegheny County | 1.39% |
| Montgomery County | 1.25% |
| Bucks County | 1.17% |
| Delaware County | 1.67% |
| Chester County | 1.15% |
| Lancaster County | 1.17% |
| Berks County | 1.43% |
Among these counties, effective rates range from about 0.83% in Philadelphia County to 1.67% in Delaware County. Your actual rate depends on the local mill/millage set by your county, city, and school district.
Pennsylvania has no uniform statewide dollar homestead exemption. Instead the Homestead/Farmstead Exclusion — funded largely by state gaming revenue — reduces the taxable assessed value of a primary residence for school taxes, with the amount set by each school district. Owners apply through the county assessment office.
The Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program provides rebates up to $1,000 (plus supplements in some areas) to homeowners and renters 65+, widows/widowers 50+, or people with disabilities 18+, subject to an income limit of $45,000. Veterans with a 100% service-connected permanent disability who meet a financial-need test may receive a full exemption on their primary residence.
Due dates are set by each county, municipality, and school district, so they differ across the state. Bills typically offer a discount period (often about 2%), a face-value period, and then a penalty period; county/municipal bills usually arrive in spring and school bills in summer.
File an annual assessment appeal with the county Board of Assessment Appeals. Deadlines vary by county — commonly August 1 or September 1 — and the owner must show current market value with comparable sales and, where relevant, the county's Common Level Ratio.
Pennsylvania's effective property tax rate averages about 1.16% of home value, above the roughly 0.9% national average, though the median dollar bill is close to the national median.
The CLR is a state-published figure showing the ratio of assessed values to market values in each county. It lets owners check whether an assessment is fair and is used in appeals to translate market value into an equitable assessed value.
Homeowners and renters who are 65 or older, widows or widowers 50 or older, or adults with disabilities may qualify if income is within the limit (up to $45,000), with rebates up to $1,000.