Property Tax in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
The median real estate tax bill in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania is $3,399 per year, and the median home is worth $216,700. Both figures are the US Census Bureau's survey medians for owner-occupied households (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023).
What the Allegheny County numbers mean
The median is the midpoint of the county's actual bills: half of Allegheny County homeowners pay more than $3,399 a year and half pay less. The exact bill for any one home depends on its assessed value, exemptions, and which school, municipal and special districts cover it.
Set against the median home value of $216,700, the median bill works out to a derived effective rate of 1.57%. That rate is an estimate computed from the two medians — no county publishes a rate calculated this way — but it adjusts for home prices, which makes comparisons between counties more meaningful.
Allegheny County by the numbers
| Measure | Allegheny County | Pennsylvania | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median real estate taxes paid | $3,399 | $3,241 | $2,969 |
| Median home value | $216,700 | $240,500 | $303,400 |
| Derived effective rate* | 1.57% | 1.35% | 0.98% |
| Median tax per month | $283 | $270 | $247 |
*Estimate derived from Census medians (tax ÷ value), not an official rate.
Allegheny County at a glance
- Median tax rank in Pennsylvania: #13 of 67 counties
- Median home value rank in Pennsylvania: #25 of 67
- Population rank in Pennsylvania: #2 of 67 (1,240,476 residents)
- Population density rank: #4 of 67 (1,699 people per square mile)
- Land area rank in Pennsylvania: #29 of 67 (729 sq mi, 1.6% of the combined county land area)
- Median tax as a monthly figure: $283; per $1,000 of home value: $1.57
How Allegheny County compares
Set against its state, Allegheny County's median bill of $3,399 is about 5% higher than the Pennsylvania median ($3,241). Against the country as a whole it is about 14% higher than the US median ($2,969). That places the county #13 of 67 Pennsylvania counties ranked by median taxes paid.
Remember what drives the ranking: bills follow home values as much as rates. Allegheny County's median home, at $216,700, ranks #25 by value in Pennsylvania, while its derived rate of 1.57% compares with a derived US figure of 0.98%.
Some extra context for Allegheny County: the median bill works out to about $283 a month, and the derived rate equals roughly $1,569 of tax per $100,000 of home value. The county is home to 1,240,476 people — the #2 most populous county in Pennsylvania, spread over 729 square miles, a density of about 1,699 people per square mile. Its median home value, $216,700, ranks #25 among the state's 67 counties with data.
Nationally, Allegheny County's median bill of $3,399 ranks #334 of 3133 counties with published data — inside the top 11% of counties by tax paid. The county accounts for about 9.6% of Pennsylvania's population, its median home value is about 10% below the state median, and at the derived rate the median home would hand over roughly 15.69% of its value in tax across a decade. Within the state, the distance from Allegheny County to the most expensive county, Chester County ($6,191), is $2,792 a year.
Counties nearest Allegheny County in the Pennsylvania ranking
| County | Median tax paid | Median home value | Derived rate* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adams County, PA | $3,569 | $256,100 | 1.39% |
| Pike County, PA | $3,502 | $250,900 | 1.40% |
| Centre County, PA | $3,282 | $308,100 | 1.06% |
| Cumberland County, PA | $3,180 | $261,900 | 1.21% |
How the tax is worked out
Think of the final bill as three ingredients: the assessed value of the property, the exemptions subtracted from it, and the combined rate of every district the property sits in. Allegheny County's medians imply a derived rate of 1.57%; applied illustratively, a $400,000 home would owe about $6,276 a year, or around $523 a month spread evenly. Individual properties depart from the illustration in both directions.
Checking your assessment in Allegheny County
If your bill looks wrong, work through these steps:
1. Get your property record card from the assessor and check the basics — living area, lot size, bedrooms, condition, and any exemptions you should have.
2. Compare your assessed value with recent sale prices of similar homes in Allegheny County.
3. Talk to the assessor's office informally first; clear errors are often fixed without a hearing.
4. If needed, file a formal appeal with the local review board before the deadline on your assessment notice, with your evidence attached.
5. Keep paying the bill as issued while the appeal runs, unless your notice says otherwise — unpaid taxes accrue penalties regardless of an appeal.
More Pennsylvania counties
Frequently asked questions
What is the median property tax in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania?
The median real estate tax paid in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania is $3,399 per year, on a median home value of $216,700 (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023).
What is the effective property tax rate in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania?
On a derived basis, 1.57%: the county's median tax bill of $3,399 divided by its median home value of $216,700. Because it is calculated from two survey medians, read it as a comparison estimate rather than an official rate.
How does Allegheny County compare with the rest of Pennsylvania?
By median taxes paid, Allegheny County stands at #13 among the 67 Pennsylvania counties the Census publishes figures for. Its $3,399 median bill is about 5% higher than the state median ($3,241), and 12 counties in the state record a higher median.
How are property taxes calculated in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania?
Three steps produce the bill: an assessment of market value by the local assessor, a reduction for exemptions you qualify for (a homestead exemption is the common one), and multiplication by the combined rates of the county, municipality, school district and any special districts covering the property. The median result in Allegheny County is $3,399 of tax on a $216,700 median home value.
Can I appeal my property tax assessment in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania?
Yes — appeals are handled locally. Start with the Allegheny County assessor's property record card for your home, correct any factual errors, and back your case with comparable recent sales. Formal appeals go to the review board named on your assessment notice and must be filed by its deadline, typically within 30 to 90 days.