Property Tax in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania
In Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, the typical homeowner pays $2,506 a year in property taxes on a home worth a median of $163,800. 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 Luzerne County numbers mean
A median is the middle household: half of owner-occupied households in Luzerne County pay more than $2,506, 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 1.53% for Luzerne 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.
Luzerne County by the numbers
| Measure | Luzerne County | Pennsylvania | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median real estate taxes paid | $2,506 | $3,241 | $2,969 |
| Median home value | $163,800 | $240,500 | $303,400 |
| Derived effective rate* | 1.53% | 1.35% | 0.98% |
| Median tax per month | $209 | $270 | $247 |
*Estimate derived from Census medians (tax ÷ value), not an official rate.
Luzerne County at a glance
- Median tax rank in Pennsylvania: #29 of 67 counties
- Median home value rank in Pennsylvania: #44 of 67
- Population rank in Pennsylvania: #12 of 67 (325,978 residents)
- Population density rank: #17 of 67 (366 people per square mile)
- Land area rank in Pennsylvania: #14 of 67 (889 sq mi, 2.0% of the combined county land area)
- Median tax as a monthly figure: $209; per $1,000 of home value: $1.53
How Luzerne County compares
Set against its state, Luzerne County's median bill of $2,506 is about 23% lower than the Pennsylvania median ($3,241). Against the country as a whole it is about 16% lower than the US median ($2,969). That places the county #29 of 67 Pennsylvania counties ranked by median taxes paid.
Remember what drives the ranking: bills follow home values as much as rates. Luzerne County's median home, at $163,800, ranks #44 by value in Pennsylvania, while its derived rate of 1.53% compares with a derived US figure of 0.98%.
Some extra context for Luzerne County: the median bill works out to about $209 a month, and the derived rate equals roughly $1,530 of tax per $100,000 of home value. The county is home to 325,978 people — the #12 most populous county in Pennsylvania, spread over 889 square miles, a density of about 366 people per square mile. Its median home value, $163,800, ranks #44 among the state's 67 counties with data.
Nationally, Luzerne County's median bill of $2,506 ranks #678 of 3133 counties with published data — inside the top 22% of counties by tax paid. The county accounts for about 2.5% of Pennsylvania's population, its median home value is about 32% below the state median, and at the derived rate the median home would hand over roughly 15.30% of its value in tax across a decade. Within the state, the distance from Luzerne County to the most expensive county, Chester County ($6,191), is $3,685 a year.
Counties nearest Luzerne County in the Pennsylvania ranking
| County | Median tax paid | Median home value | Derived rate* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lycoming County, PA | $2,647 | $195,600 | 1.35% |
| Franklin County, PA | $2,634 | $236,300 | 1.11% |
| Montour County, PA | $2,475 | $240,300 | 1.03% |
| Westmoreland County, PA | $2,473 | $193,100 | 1.28% |
How the tax is worked out
The bill is built in stages. First the assessor puts a market value on the property. Exemptions — a homestead exemption above all — then reduce the taxable amount. Finally the combined local rate is applied. To see the scale: at the county's derived rate of 1.53%, each $100,000 of value corresponds to about $1,530 of tax a year, and a $400,000 home to roughly $6,120. Real bills use the official assessment and district rates, not this derived figure, so treat the example as a sense of scale only.
Checking your assessment in Luzerne County
Most successful appeals are won on facts, not arguments. Start with the property record card held by the Luzerne 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.
More Pennsylvania counties
Frequently asked questions
What is the median property tax in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania?
The median real estate tax paid in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania is $2,506 per year, on a median home value of $163,800 (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023).
What is the effective property tax rate in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania?
On a derived basis, 1.53%: the county's median tax bill of $2,506 divided by its median home value of $163,800. Because it is calculated from two survey medians, read it as a comparison estimate rather than an official rate.
How does Luzerne County compare with the rest of Pennsylvania?
Luzerne County ranks #29 of 67 Pennsylvania counties with published data by median taxes paid. Its median bill of $2,506 is about 23% lower than the Pennsylvania median of $3,241.
How are property taxes calculated in Luzerne 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 Luzerne County, the median outcome of that process is a bill of $2,506 on a median home value of $163,800.
Can I appeal my property tax assessment in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania?
Yes — appeals are handled locally. Start with the Luzerne 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.