Property Tax in Erie County, Pennsylvania
In Erie County, Pennsylvania, the typical homeowner pays $2,754 a year in property taxes on a home worth a median of $169,500. The figures on this page are the Census Bureau's published medians (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023), shown exactly as released.
What the Erie County numbers mean
The median is the midpoint of the county's actual bills: half of Erie County homeowners pay more than $2,754 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 $169,500, the median bill works out to a derived effective rate of 1.62%. 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.
Erie County by the numbers
| Measure | Erie County | Pennsylvania | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median real estate taxes paid | $2,754 | $3,241 | $2,969 |
| Median home value | $169,500 | $240,500 | $303,400 |
| Derived effective rate* | 1.62% | 1.35% | 0.98% |
| Median tax per month | $230 | $270 | $247 |
*Estimate derived from Census medians (tax ÷ value), not an official rate.
Erie County at a glance
- Median tax rank in Pennsylvania: #24 of 67 counties
- Median home value rank in Pennsylvania: #43 of 67
- Population rank in Pennsylvania: #15 of 67 (269,544 residents)
- Population density rank: #19 of 67 (337 people per square mile)
- Land area rank in Pennsylvania: #23 of 67 (798 sq mi, 1.8% of the combined county land area)
- Median tax as a monthly figure: $230; per $1,000 of home value: $1.62
How Erie County compares
The median tax bill in Erie County is about 15% lower than the state median ($3,241 for Pennsylvania) and about 7% lower than the US median ($2,969 nationally). By median taxes paid, the county ranks #24 out of 67 Pennsylvania counties with published Census data — 23 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. Erie County's derived rate of 1.62% sits above the derived US figure of 0.98%.
Some extra context for Erie County: the median bill works out to about $230 a month, and the derived rate equals roughly $1,625 of tax per $100,000 of home value. The county is home to 269,544 people — the #15 most populous county in Pennsylvania, spread over 798 square miles, a density of about 337 people per square mile. Its median home value, $169,500, ranks #43 among the state's 67 counties with data.
Nationally, Erie County's median bill of $2,754 ranks #548 of 3133 counties with published data — inside the top 17% of counties by tax paid. The county accounts for about 2.1% of Pennsylvania's population, its median home value is about 30% below the state median, and at the derived rate the median home would hand over roughly 16.25% of its value in tax across a decade. Within the state, the distance from Erie County to the most expensive county, Chester County ($6,191), is $3,437 a year.
Counties nearest Erie County in the Pennsylvania ranking
| County | Median tax paid | Median home value | Derived rate* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Perry County, PA | $2,775 | $222,800 | 1.25% |
| Wyoming County, PA | $2,763 | $205,600 | 1.34% |
| Beaver County, PA | $2,672 | $185,500 | 1.44% |
| Union County, PA | $2,667 | $222,900 | 1.20% |
How the tax is worked out
As an illustration of the arithmetic: at Erie County's derived rate of 1.62%, a home valued at $400,000 would carry a tax bill of roughly $6,500 a year. That is only an illustration using the derived rate — a real bill is computed from the property's assessed value, its exemptions, and the combined rates of its specific taxing districts, so it can be higher or lower.
The usual sequence is: the local assessor values the property; exemptions are applied; the taxable value is multiplied by the combined local rates; and the county bills and collects the tax, distributing it to the schools, municipalities and districts that levied it.
Checking your assessment in Erie 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 Erie 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.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the median property tax in Erie County, Pennsylvania?
The median real estate tax paid in Erie County, Pennsylvania is $2,754 per year, on a median home value of $169,500 (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023).
What is the effective property tax rate in Erie County, Pennsylvania?
On a derived basis, 1.62%: the county's median tax bill of $2,754 divided by its median home value of $169,500. Because it is calculated from two survey medians, read it as a comparison estimate rather than an official rate.
How does Erie County compare with the rest of Pennsylvania?
Erie County ranks #24 of 67 Pennsylvania counties with published data by median taxes paid. Its median bill of $2,754 is about 15% lower than the Pennsylvania median of $3,241.
How are property taxes calculated in Erie 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 Erie County is $2,754 of tax on a $169,500 median home value.
Can I appeal my property tax assessment in Erie County, Pennsylvania?
You can. Pull your property record card from the Erie 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.