Property Tax in Monroe County, Pennsylvania
In Monroe County, Pennsylvania, the typical homeowner pays $4,435 a year in property taxes on a home worth a median of $241,200. 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 Monroe County numbers mean
The median is the midpoint of the county's actual bills: half of Monroe County homeowners pay more than $4,435 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 $241,200, the median bill works out to a derived effective rate of 1.84%. 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.
The key figures for Monroe County
| Measure | Monroe County |
|---|---|
| Median real estate taxes paid per year | $4,435 |
| Median home value | $241,200 |
| Derived effective rate* | 1.84% |
| Equivalent monthly tax | $370 |
| Tax per $100,000 of value (derived) | $1,839 |
| Illustrative tax on a $400,000 home (derived rate) | $7,356 |
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.
Monroe County at a glance
- Median tax rank in Pennsylvania: #7 of 67 counties
- Median home value rank in Pennsylvania: #13 of 67
- Population rank in Pennsylvania: #20 of 67 (167,784 residents)
- Population density rank: #20 of 67 (276 people per square mile)
- Land area rank in Pennsylvania: #36 of 67 (608 sq mi, 1.4% of the combined county land area)
- Median tax as a monthly figure: $370; per $1,000 of home value: $1.84
How Monroe County compares
Set against its state, Monroe County's median bill of $4,435 is about 37% higher than the Pennsylvania median ($3,241). Against the country as a whole it is about 49% higher than the US median ($2,969). That places the county #7 of 67 Pennsylvania counties ranked by median taxes paid.
Remember what drives the ranking: bills follow home values as much as rates. Monroe County's median home, at $241,200, ranks #13 by value in Pennsylvania, while its derived rate of 1.84% compares with a derived US figure of 0.98%.
Some extra context for Monroe County: the median bill works out to about $370 a month, and the derived rate equals roughly $1,839 of tax per $100,000 of home value. The county is home to 167,784 people — the #20 most populous county in Pennsylvania, spread over 608 square miles, a density of about 276 people per square mile. Its median home value, $241,200, ranks #13 among the state's 67 counties with data.
Nationally, Monroe County's median bill of $4,435 ranks #173 of 3133 counties with published data — inside the top 6% of counties by tax paid. The county accounts for about 1.3% of Pennsylvania's population, its median home value is about 0% above the state median, and at the derived rate the median home would hand over roughly 18.39% of its value in tax across a decade. Within the state, the distance from Monroe County to the most expensive county, Chester County ($6,191), is $1,756 a year.
Counties nearest Monroe County in the Pennsylvania ranking
| County | Median tax paid | Median home value | Derived rate* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northampton County, PA | $4,710 | $285,000 | 1.65% |
| Lehigh County, PA | $4,591 | $276,100 | 1.66% |
| Berks County, PA | $4,238 | $239,700 | 1.77% |
| York County, PA | $3,947 | $235,000 | 1.68% |
Monroe County and its population peers
Counties of a similar size can tax very differently. The table below shows the counties closest to Monroe County in population across the United States, with their median bills and home values. Within the group of 9, Monroe County ($4,435) ranks the highest by median tax paid.
| County | Population | Median tax paid | Median home value | Derived rate* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pueblo County, CO | 168,726 | $1,382 | $271,800 | 0.51% |
| Charles County, MD | 168,710 | $4,179 | $402,300 | 1.04% |
| Greene County, OH | 168,531 | $4,021 | $238,000 | 1.69% |
| Kenosha County, WI | 168,413 | $4,180 | $247,800 | 1.69% |
| Yellowstone County, MT | 167,340 | $2,669 | $317,600 | 0.84% |
| Wyandotte County, KS | 167,277 | $2,240 | $152,700 | 1.47% |
| Beaver County, PA | 166,993 | $2,672 | $185,500 | 1.44% |
| Houston County, GA | 166,902 | $1,759 | $205,600 | 0.86% |
The closest population match is Yellowstone County, Montana (167,340 residents), where the median real estate tax paid is $2,669 on a median home value of $317,600 — $1,766 more than Monroe County pays.
Inside Pennsylvania itself, the counties closest to Monroe County in population are Washington County (209,778 residents, median tax $2,445 on a median value of $220,600); Butler County (195,870 residents, median tax $2,950 on a median value of $275,600); Beaver County (166,993 residents, median tax $2,672 on a median value of $185,500); Centre County (158,041 residents, median tax $3,282 on a median value of $308,100). 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. Monroe County's medians imply a derived rate of 1.84%; applied illustratively, a $400,000 home would owe about $7,356 a year, or around $613 a month spread evenly. Individual properties depart from the illustration in both directions.
Illustrative bills in Monroe County at the derived rate
The derived rate of 1.84% is only an estimate built from medians, but applying it to different home values gives a sense of scale for Monroe 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 | $2,758 | $230 |
| $250,000 | $4,598 | $383 |
| $350,000 | $6,436 | $536 |
| $500,000 | $9,195 | $766 |
| $750,000 | $13,792 | $1,149 |
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 Monroe 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 Monroe 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.
More Pennsylvania counties
Frequently asked questions
What is the median property tax in Monroe County, Pennsylvania?
The median real estate tax paid in Monroe County, Pennsylvania is $4,435 per year, on a median home value of $241,200 (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023).
What is the effective property tax rate in Monroe County, Pennsylvania?
On a derived basis, 1.84%: the county's median tax bill of $4,435 divided by its median home value of $241,200. Because it is calculated from two survey medians, read it as a comparison estimate rather than an official rate.
How does Monroe County compare with the rest of Pennsylvania?
Monroe County ranks #7 of 67 Pennsylvania counties with published data by median taxes paid. Its median bill of $4,435 is about 37% higher than the Pennsylvania median of $3,241.
How are property taxes calculated in Monroe 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 Monroe County is $4,435 of tax on a $241,200 median home value.
Can I appeal my property tax assessment in Monroe County, Pennsylvania?
Yes — appeals are handled locally. Start with the Monroe 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.