Pennsylvania Property Tax Calculator 2026

This Pennsylvania property tax calculator is a free, browser-based tool that turns a home value into an annual and monthly property tax estimate using Pennsylvania's 1.26% statewide average effective rate, or your own effective rate. It can also show the bill after the state Property Tax/Rent Rebate for your income band.

How Pennsylvania Property Tax Works

Property tax in Pennsylvania is an annual tax levied on real estate by local governments — primarily counties, municipalities, and school districts. The amount you owe is determined by your property's assessed value multiplied by the local mill rate. On average, Pennsylvania homeowners pay 1.26% of their home's value in property tax each year, 0.32 percentage points above the U.S. figure of 0.94%.

The effective rate combines all local levies: county tax, municipal tax, school district tax, and any special assessments. Because Pennsylvania has multiple taxing jurisdictions, your actual rate depends heavily on where in the state your property is located. The 1.26% figure is all real-estate tax paid on owner-occupied homes in Pennsylvania divided by their total value, as published in the Tax Foundation's Property Taxes by State and County, 2026 from Census Bureau American Community Survey data for 2020–2024. It is a statewide average — not a rate any single jurisdiction charges, and not your bill.

The Census Bureau puts the median owner-occupied home in Pennsylvania at $254,500 and the median real-estate tax bill at $3,311 a year — roughly $276 per month when paid through a mortgage escrow account (American Community Survey, 2020–2024).

Who Collects Property Tax in Pennsylvania — and How Rates Are Set

In Pennsylvania, your county assessment office sets the assessed value of your home, and the county, the municipality and the school district each levy their own millage on it, so one home gets more than one tax bill. State law sets the framework; the local taxing bodies set the rates.

Mill rates (expressed as dollars of tax per $1,000 of assessed value) are set annually based on local budget needs. Ten mills is 1% of assessed value, which equals 1% of market value only where homes are assessed at full market value. Pennsylvania counties assess at their own predetermined ratio of a base-year value, so the assessed value on your bill can be far below today's market value; the State Tax Equalization Board publishes each county's common level ratio of assessed value to current market value every year. If your home's market value rises faster than neighboring properties, your share of the tax burden can increase even if the mill rate stays the same.

To find your exact rate, contact your county assessment office or check its official website. Your most recent property tax bill will also show the breakdown of all levies applied to your parcel.

Pennsylvania Property Tax Exemptions and Relief Programs

The main statewide programme is the Property Tax/Rent Rebate for homeowners and renters aged 65 or older, widows and widowers aged 50 or older, and people with disabilities aged 18 or older, with household income of $48,110 or less (half of Social Security income is excluded). The standard rebate for 2025 taxes depends on income: $1,000 up to $8,550, $770 up to $16,040, $460 up to $19,240 and $380 up to $48,110; applications are accepted until December 31, 2026. Homeowners with income of $32,070 or less get a supplemental rebate of $190 to $500 if they live in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh or Scranton or pay more than 15% of their income in property tax. Separately, under the Taxpayer Relief Act school districts cut the school property tax on a primary residence through a homestead or farmstead exclusion; you apply to your county assessment office by March 1. Source: Pennsylvania Department of Revenue — Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program.

Veterans may qualify for a partial or full exemption depending on disability rating and service history. Agricultural land often receives a preferential assessment based on use-value rather than market value. If you believe your assessment is incorrect, you have the right to appeal — the deadline is printed on your assessment notice and is often only a few weeks away.

To apply for any exemption, contact your county assessment office. Most exemptions require an annual or one-time application and proof of eligibility (residency, age, disability documentation, etc.).

Pennsylvania's Property Tax/Rent Rebate: $380 to $1,000 Back, and the Deadline Is 31 December 2026

Pennsylvania's main property-tax relief for older and disabled residents is a rebate rather than a lower rate. The Property Tax/Rent Rebate pays between $380 and $1,000 a year, and the amount depends on household income — only the lowest income band gets the full $1,000. The maximum was raised from $650 to $1,000 in the programme's recent expansion, and the income limit now rises with inflation each year. For rebates on 2025 taxes the household income limit is $48,110.

Who qualifies: Pennsylvanians aged 65 or older, widows and widowers aged 50 or older, and people with disabilities aged 18 or older. Half of Social Security income is excluded when household income is worked out, which is why many people who assume they earn too much actually qualify. Renters are eligible too. The rebate is for your primary residence, and it cannot be more than the property tax you paid. Applications for 2025 rebates are accepted until December 31, 2026, and rebates are issued from July 1.

The last column uses the estimated tax on a $254,500 home, the Census median for Pennsylvania, at the 1.26% statewide average: about $3,207 a year. Homeowners with income of $32,070 or less also receive a supplemental rebate of $190 to $500 if they live in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh or Scranton, or if their property tax is more than 15% of their income; the Department of Revenue works it out automatically. Apply free through myPATH, by mail or in person. Source: Pennsylvania Department of Revenue — Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program and its 2025 PA-1000 instruction booklet. Last updated October 2026.

Why Your Actual Pennsylvania Property Tax Rate Differs from 1.26%

The 1.26% above is a statewide average, and almost nobody pays exactly that. Your real rate is the sum of every levy on your parcel: county, municipality and school district. County averages alone run from 0.79% in Bedford County to 1.62% in Delaware and Monroe counties — a spread that moves the bill on a $254,500 home by about $2,100 a year (Tax Foundation 2026 county table, Census ACS 2020–2024). That is why this Pennsylvania property tax calculator takes an optional local rate: add up your most recent county, municipal and school district tax bills, divide by what the home is worth, and enter that percentage to replace the statewide average. Do not enter millage. Pennsylvania counties assess at their own ratio of a base-year value rather than at current market value, then apply a higher millage to reach the same result — the common level ratio that the State Tax Equalization Board publishes for each county every year shows how assessed values there compare with current market values. If you do not have a bill yet, ask your county assessment office for the assessed value and the current millage. Updated October 2026.

How to Appeal a Pennsylvania Property Tax Assessment

An appeal challenges your assessed value, never the millage — the rate is set by county, municipal and school-board budget votes you cannot contest as an individual. Appeals are filed in writing with your county board of assessment appeals. Under the Consolidated County Assessment Law (53 Pa.C.S. § 8844), which covers counties of the second class A through the eighth class, the annual deadline is September 1, or an earlier date set by the county commissioners that can be no earlier than August 1 — so a bill that arrives in the spring is already too late to contest for that year. First- and second-class counties follow their own rules, so confirm the date with your county board. At the hearing the board decides the property's market value and applies the county's predetermined assessment ratio to it — or the common level ratio published by the State Tax Equalization Board, when the two differ by more than 15% — so the question is what the home is worth, not what your neighbours are assessed at. Bring recent sales of genuinely comparable homes. A board decision can be appealed to court. Updated October 2026.

Tips to Manage Your Pennsylvania Property Tax Bill

First, verify your assessment is accurate. Review your property record card at your county assessment office and check for errors in square footage, bedroom/bathroom count, or lot size. Even small errors can inflate your assessed value and tax bill. If the assessment seems high, look up recent sale prices of comparable homes in your neighborhood and file an appeal if warranted.

Second, apply for every exemption you qualify for. Homestead, senior, veteran, and disability exemptions can reduce your taxable value by thousands of dollars. Third, if your mortgage servicer handles tax payments through escrow, review your escrow statement annually. Servicers sometimes over-estimate and hold excess funds — you may be entitled to a refund. Finally, Pennsylvania has no single statewide due date: the county, municipal and school district taxes on a home are billed locally, so go by the due dates on the bills from your tax collector.