Pennsylvania's average effective property tax rate is about 1.3%–1.35% of home value (Tax Foundation puts it slightly lower at 1.26% on owner-occupied housing value; other aggregators like TaxByCounty/PropertyTaxRates.org cite 1.33%–1.35%). That is meaningfully above the ~0.99% national average cited for comparison — roughly 30-35% higher — making PA one of the more heavily property-taxed states in the country (it typically ranks in the top 10-15 nationally). Rates vary enormously by county: Bedford County has the lowest effective rate at about 0.81%, while Delaware County has the highest at about 1.98% — nearly a 2.5x spread within the state, driven by Pennsylvania's heavy reliance on local school district property taxes rather than a uniform state rate.
Example: On Pennsylvania's median home value of roughly $240,500, the median annual property tax bill is about $3,241 (a ~1.35% effective rate). Other statewide estimates place the median bill closer to $2,657–$3,050 depending on the home-value baseline used, but all sources agree PA's typical bill runs several hundred dollars above the national median (commonly cited near $2,400–$2,690). At the county level, this varies drastically — from around $1,162 median in Forest County up to about $6,191 median in Chester County.
Reported PA average effective rates vary somewhat by source (1.26% Tax Foundation vs. 1.33-1.35% from county-aggregator sites) because Pennsylvania has no single statewide property tax rate — nearly all property tax is levied locally by school districts, counties, and municipalities, so the "state average" is a blended figure that masks a nearly 2.5x range between the lowest-tax county (Bedford, ~0.81%) and highest-tax county (Delaware, ~1.98%). Homeowners should check their specific county/school district rate rather than relying on the state average, and should confirm current-year PTRR income limits and rebate tiers directly at pa.gov/agencies/revenue/ptrr since the income cap is now indexed to inflation and adjusts annually.
Facts on this page reflect research current as of 2026-07-05. Programs, rates, and laws change — confirm current figures with the relevant state agency before relying on them.