Property Tax in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania
In Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, the typical homeowner pays $1,778 a year in property taxes on a home worth a median of $151,600. 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 Northumberland County numbers mean
A median is the middle household: half of owner-occupied households in Northumberland County pay more than $1,778, 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 1.17% for Northumberland 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 Northumberland County
| Measure | Northumberland County |
|---|---|
| Median real estate taxes paid per year | $1,778 |
| Median home value | $151,600 |
| Derived effective rate* | 1.17% |
| Equivalent monthly tax | $148 |
| Tax per $100,000 of value (derived) | $1,173 |
| Illustrative tax on a $400,000 home (derived rate) | $4,692 |
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.
Northumberland County at a glance
- Median tax rank in Pennsylvania: #52 of 67 counties
- Median home value rank in Pennsylvania: #48 of 67
- Population rank in Pennsylvania: #32 of 67 (90,925 residents)
- Population density rank: #27 of 67 (199 people per square mile)
- Land area rank in Pennsylvania: #49 of 67 (457 sq mi, 1.0% of the combined county land area)
- Median tax as a monthly figure: $148; per $1,000 of home value: $1.17
How Northumberland County compares
Of the 67 Pennsylvania counties with published data, 51 have a higher median property tax bill than Northumberland County's $1,778, putting the county at #52 in the state. Its bill is about 45% lower than the state median of $3,241 and about 40% lower than 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 1.17%, versus 0.98% derived nationally, and the median home value ranks #48 within Pennsylvania.
Some extra context for Northumberland County: the median bill works out to about $148 a month, and the derived rate equals roughly $1,173 of tax per $100,000 of home value. The county is home to 90,925 people — the #32 most populous county in Pennsylvania, spread over 457 square miles, a density of about 199 people per square mile. Its median home value, $151,600, ranks #48 among the state's 67 counties with data.
Nationally, Northumberland County's median bill of $1,778 ranks #1300 of 3133 counties with published data — inside the top 41% of counties by tax paid. The county accounts for about 0.7% of Pennsylvania's population, its median home value is about 37% below the state median, and at the derived rate the median home would hand over roughly 11.73% of its value in tax across a decade. Within the state, the distance from Northumberland County to the most expensive county, Chester County ($6,191), is $4,413 a year.
Counties nearest Northumberland County in the Pennsylvania ranking
| County | Median tax paid | Median home value | Derived rate* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greene County, PA | $1,893 | $146,200 | 1.29% |
| Potter County, PA | $1,868 | $146,200 | 1.28% |
| Blair County, PA | $1,711 | $156,700 | 1.09% |
| Warren County, PA | $1,694 | $121,800 | 1.39% |
Northumberland County and its population peers
For a like-for-like sense of scale, compare Northumberland County with its national population peers: the counties nearest to its 90,925 residents, listed in the table below with their own Census medians. Of the 9 counties in that group, Northumberland County's median bill of $1,778 is #6 of 9.
| County | Population | Median tax paid | Median home value | Derived rate* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rockingham County, NC | 91,585 | $1,230 | $156,000 | 0.79% |
| Victoria County, TX | 91,281 | $2,941 | $197,600 | 1.49% |
| Christian County, MO | 91,229 | $1,878 | $249,700 | 0.75% |
| Wayne County, NY | 91,128 | $4,168 | $163,400 | 2.55% |
| Mendocino County, CA | 90,709 | $3,376 | $486,000 | 0.69% |
| Lincoln County, NC | 90,359 | $1,660 | $279,500 | 0.59% |
| Cullman County, AL | 89,463 | $457 | $180,500 | 0.25% |
| Dodge County, WI | 88,818 | $3,395 | $218,400 | 1.55% |
The closest population match is Wayne County, New York (91,128 residents), where the median real estate tax paid is $4,168 on a median home value of $163,400 — $2,390 less than Northumberland County pays.
Staying within Pennsylvania, the counties nearest Northumberland County by population are Mercer County (109,852 residents, median tax $1,943 on a median value of $153,600); Adams County (105,183 residents, median tax $3,569 on a median value of $256,100); Lawrence County (85,423 residents, median tax $1,983 on a median value of $136,700); Indiana County (83,213 residents, median tax $2,271 on a median value of $145,400). The spread in their median bills — all under the same state framework — shows how much of the property tax burden is decided county by county and district by district.
How the tax is worked out
As an illustration of the arithmetic: at Northumberland County's derived rate of 1.17%, a home valued at $400,000 would carry a tax bill of roughly $4,692 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.
Illustrative bills in Northumberland County at the derived rate
The derived rate of 1.17% is only an estimate built from medians, but applying it to different home values gives a sense of scale for Northumberland 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 | $1,760 | $147 |
| $250,000 | $2,932 | $244 |
| $350,000 | $4,106 | $342 |
| $500,000 | $5,865 | $489 |
| $750,000 | $8,798 | $733 |
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 Northumberland 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 Northumberland 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 Northumberland County, Pennsylvania?
The median real estate tax paid in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania is $1,778 per year, on a median home value of $151,600 (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023).
What is the effective property tax rate in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania?
On a derived basis, 1.17%: the county's median tax bill of $1,778 divided by its median home value of $151,600. Because it is calculated from two survey medians, read it as a comparison estimate rather than an official rate.
How does Northumberland County compare with the rest of Pennsylvania?
Northumberland County ranks #52 of 67 Pennsylvania counties with published data by median taxes paid. Its median bill of $1,778 is about 45% lower than the Pennsylvania median of $3,241.
How are property taxes calculated in Northumberland 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 Northumberland County is $1,778 of tax on a $151,600 median home value.
Can I appeal my property tax assessment in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania?
Yes. Request your property record card from the Northumberland County assessor's office and check it for errors, then compare your assessed value with recent sales of similar homes. If it still looks too high, file a formal appeal with the local review board named on your assessment notice before the deadline printed on the notice — windows are short, often 30 to 90 days.