Property Tax in Butler County, Pennsylvania
The median real estate tax bill in Butler County, Pennsylvania is $2,950 per year, and the median home is worth $275,600. 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 Butler County numbers mean
A median is the middle household: half of owner-occupied households in Butler County pay more than $2,950, and half pay less. Your own bill is set by your home's assessed value, the exemptions you qualify for, and the local taxing districts your property sits in — so individual bills vary widely around the median.
Dividing the median tax by the median home value gives a derived effective rate of 1.07% for Butler County. It is an estimate built from two survey medians, not the county's official rate, but it is a fair way to compare the local tax burden with other counties where home values are very different.
The key figures for Butler County
| Measure | Butler County |
|---|---|
| Median real estate taxes paid per year | $2,950 |
| Median home value | $275,600 |
| Derived effective rate* | 1.07% |
| Equivalent monthly tax | $246 |
| Tax per $100,000 of value (derived) | $1,070 |
| Illustrative tax on a $400,000 home (derived rate) | $4,280 |
For context, the Pennsylvania medians are $3,241 of tax on $240,500 of value, and the US medians are $2,969 on $303,400. *Derived figures are estimates from Census medians, not official rates.
Butler County at a glance
- Median tax rank in Pennsylvania: #18 of 67 counties
- Median home value rank in Pennsylvania: #9 of 67
- Population rank in Pennsylvania: #19 of 67 (195,870 residents)
- Population density rank: #21 of 67 (248 people per square mile)
- Land area rank in Pennsylvania: #25 of 67 (789 sq mi, 1.8% of the combined county land area)
- Median tax as a monthly figure: $246; per $1,000 of home value: $1.07
How Butler County compares
Of the 67 Pennsylvania counties with published data, 17 have a higher median property tax bill than Butler County's $2,950, putting the county at #18 in the state. Its bill is about 9% lower than the state median of $3,241 and about the same as the national median of $2,969.
Rates and values pull in opposite directions: an expensive housing market can produce big bills at ordinary rates. Here the derived rate is 1.07%, versus 0.98% derived nationally, and the median home value ranks #9 within Pennsylvania.
Some extra context for Butler County: the median bill works out to about $246 a month, and the derived rate equals roughly $1,070 of tax per $100,000 of home value. The county is home to 195,870 people — the #19 most populous county in Pennsylvania, spread over 789 square miles, a density of about 248 people per square mile. Its median home value, $275,600, ranks #9 among the state's 67 counties with data.
Zooming out: of 3133 counties nationwide with published Census figures, only 454 record a higher median tax bill than Butler County — it sits in the top 15% nationally. The county holds roughly 1.5% of Pennsylvania's people. Its homes are worth more than the state norm (median $275,600 versus $240,500), and a decade at the derived rate of 1.07% adds up to about 10.70% of the median home's value in tax. The cheapest county in the state, Forest County, medians $1,162 — $1,788 less than Butler County per year.
Counties nearest Butler County in the Pennsylvania ranking
| County | Median tax paid | Median home value | Derived rate* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lebanon County, PA | $3,180 | $227,300 | 1.40% |
| Dauphin County, PA | $3,171 | $222,300 | 1.43% |
| Carbon County, PA | $2,914 | $193,700 | 1.50% |
| Lackawanna County, PA | $2,910 | $189,900 | 1.53% |
Butler County and its population peers
Counties of a similar size can tax very differently. The table below shows the counties closest to Butler County in population across the United States, with their median bills and home values. Within the group of 9, Butler County ($2,950) ranks #6 of 9 by median tax paid.
| County | Population | Median tax paid | Median home value | Derived rate* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sumner County, TN | 200,553 | $1,944 | $364,000 | 0.53% |
| St. Louis County, MN | 200,056 | $2,142 | $208,500 | 1.03% |
| Broome County, NY | 197,738 | $3,824 | $145,100 | 2.63% |
| Racine County, WI | 196,888 | $4,071 | $239,400 | 1.70% |
| Sangamon County, IL | 195,217 | $3,369 | $170,300 | 1.98% |
| Livingston County, MI | 195,143 | $3,269 | $331,100 | 0.99% |
| Charlotte County, FL | 195,083 | $2,581 | $291,000 | 0.89% |
| Sarpy County, NE | 194,051 | $5,157 | $287,600 | 1.79% |
The closest population match is Sangamon County, Illinois (195,217 residents), where the median real estate tax paid is $3,369 on a median home value of $170,300 — $419 less than Butler County pays.
Inside Pennsylvania itself, the counties closest to Butler County in population are Lackawanna County (215,834 residents, median tax $2,910 on a median value of $189,900); Washington County (209,778 residents, median tax $2,445 on a median value of $220,600); Monroe County (167,784 residents, median tax $4,435 on a median value of $241,200); Beaver County (166,993 residents, median tax $2,672 on a median value of $185,500). Same state, same broad tax framework — yet the median bills still differ, because assessed values and the mix of county, municipal and school-district rates are set locally.
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. Butler County's medians imply a derived rate of 1.07%; applied illustratively, a $400,000 home would owe about $4,280 a year, or around $357 a month spread evenly. Individual properties depart from the illustration in both directions.
Illustrative bills in Butler County at the derived rate
The derived rate of 1.07% is only an estimate built from medians, but applying it to different home values gives a sense of scale for Butler County — and a quick way to compare with the state derived rate of 1.35% and the US figure of 0.98%:
| Home value | Illustrative tax / year | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| $150,000 | $1,605 | $134 |
| $250,000 | $2,675 | $223 |
| $350,000 | $3,745 | $312 |
| $500,000 | $5,350 | $446 |
| $750,000 | $8,025 | $669 |
Illustration only: real bills are computed from the assessed value, exemptions, and the combined rates of the property's actual taxing districts.
Checking your assessment in Butler County
Believe your assessment is too high? The practical order of attack is: obtain your record card and audit it line by line; collect comparable recent sales in Butler County; ask the assessor's office to correct anything plainly wrong; and, if the value still seems off, lodge a formal appeal ahead of the deadline printed on your assessment notice. Windows are short — often 30 to 90 days — and late appeals are usually rejected outright, however strong the case.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the median property tax in Butler County, Pennsylvania?
The median real estate tax paid in Butler County, Pennsylvania is $2,950 per year, on a median home value of $275,600 (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023).
What is the effective property tax rate in Butler County, Pennsylvania?
On a derived basis, 1.07%: the county's median tax bill of $2,950 divided by its median home value of $275,600. Because it is calculated from two survey medians, read it as a comparison estimate rather than an official rate.
How does Butler County compare with the rest of Pennsylvania?
By median taxes paid, Butler County stands at #18 among the 67 Pennsylvania counties the Census publishes figures for. Its $2,950 median bill is about 9% lower than the state median ($3,241), and 17 counties in the state record a higher median.
How are property taxes calculated in Butler County, Pennsylvania?
The assessor estimates your property's market value; exemptions (such as a homestead exemption) reduce the taxable amount; and the result is multiplied by the combined rates of the local taxing districts — county, municipality, school district and any special districts. In Butler County, the median outcome of that process is a bill of $2,950 on a median home value of $275,600.
Can I appeal my property tax assessment in Butler County, Pennsylvania?
Yes — appeals are handled locally. Start with the Butler 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.