Property Tax in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania
Homeowners in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania pay a median of $3,180 a year in real estate taxes, on a median home value of $261,900. Those are the Census Bureau's published medians for the county (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023) — the typical bill and the typical home value for owner-occupied households.
What the Cumberland County numbers mean
The median is the midpoint of the county's actual bills: half of Cumberland County homeowners pay more than $3,180 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 $261,900, the median bill works out to a derived effective rate of 1.21%. 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.
Cumberland County by the numbers
| Measure | Cumberland County | Pennsylvania | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median real estate taxes paid | $3,180 | $3,241 | $2,969 |
| Median home value | $261,900 | $240,500 | $303,400 |
| Derived effective rate* | 1.21% | 1.35% | 0.98% |
| Median tax per month | $265 | $270 | $247 |
*Estimate derived from Census medians (tax ÷ value), not an official rate.
Cumberland County at a glance
- Median tax rank in Pennsylvania: #15 of 67 counties
- Median home value rank in Pennsylvania: #10 of 67
- Population rank in Pennsylvania: #16 of 67 (264,422 residents)
- Population density rank: #13 of 67 (485 people per square mile)
- Land area rank in Pennsylvania: #41 of 67 (545 sq mi, 1.2% of the combined county land area)
- Median tax as a monthly figure: $265; per $1,000 of home value: $1.21
How Cumberland County compares
The median tax bill in Cumberland County is about the same as the state median ($3,241 for Pennsylvania) and about 7% higher than the US median ($2,969 nationally). By median taxes paid, the county ranks #15 out of 67 Pennsylvania counties with published Census data — 14 counties in the state have a higher median bill.
Comparisons cut both ways: a county can have a modest rate but high bills because homes are expensive, or a high rate but modest bills because homes are cheaper. Cumberland County's derived rate of 1.21% sits above the derived US figure of 0.98%.
Some extra context for Cumberland County: the median bill works out to about $265 a month, and the derived rate equals roughly $1,214 of tax per $100,000 of home value. The county is home to 264,422 people — the #16 most populous county in Pennsylvania, spread over 545 square miles, a density of about 485 people per square mile. Its median home value, $261,900, ranks #10 among the state's 67 counties with data.
Zooming out: of 3133 counties nationwide with published Census figures, only 395 record a higher median tax bill than Cumberland County — it sits in the top 13% nationally. The county holds roughly 2.0% of Pennsylvania's people. Its homes are worth more than the state norm (median $261,900 versus $240,500), and a decade at the derived rate of 1.21% adds up to about 12.14% of the median home's value in tax. The cheapest county in the state, Forest County, medians $1,162 — $2,018 less than Cumberland County per year.
Counties nearest Cumberland County in the Pennsylvania ranking
| County | Median tax paid | Median home value | Derived rate* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Allegheny County, PA | $3,399 | $216,700 | 1.57% |
| Centre County, PA | $3,282 | $308,100 | 1.06% |
| Lebanon County, PA | $3,180 | $227,300 | 1.40% |
| Dauphin County, PA | $3,171 | $222,300 | 1.43% |
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. Cumberland County's medians imply a derived rate of 1.21%; applied illustratively, a $400,000 home would owe about $4,856 a year, or around $405 a month spread evenly. Individual properties depart from the illustration in both directions.
Checking your assessment in Cumberland County
Most successful appeals are won on facts, not arguments. Start with the property record card held by the Cumberland County assessor: wrong square footage, an extra room, or a missing homestead exemption are common and fixable. Next, line your assessed value up against recent sales of genuinely similar homes nearby. Many disputes end at an informal conversation with the assessor's office; if yours does not, file the formal appeal with the review board named on your notice before its deadline, evidence attached, and keep paying the bill in the meantime so penalties do not build up.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the median property tax in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania?
The median real estate tax paid in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania is $3,180 per year, on a median home value of $261,900 (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023).
What is the effective property tax rate in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania?
Dividing Cumberland County's median tax bill ($3,180) by its median home value ($261,900) gives a derived effective rate of 1.21%. This is an estimate computed from two Census survey medians — it is not the county's official tax rate.
How does Cumberland County compare with the rest of Pennsylvania?
By median taxes paid, Cumberland County stands at #15 among the 67 Pennsylvania counties the Census publishes figures for. Its $3,180 median bill is about the same as the state median ($3,241), and 14 counties in the state record a higher median.
How are property taxes calculated in Cumberland 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 Cumberland County is $3,180 of tax on a $261,900 median home value.
Can I appeal my property tax assessment in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania?
You can. Pull your property record card from the Cumberland County assessor, verify its details, and compare the assessed value against similar homes that sold recently. If the value still seems too high, submit a formal appeal to the board named on your notice before the stated deadline — usually a 30-to-90-day window.