Property Tax in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania
In Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, the typical homeowner pays $1,952 a year in property taxes on a home worth a median of $232,400. 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 Philadelphia County numbers mean
Read the two medians together: $1,952 is the middle tax bill among owner-occupied households in Philadelphia County, and $232,400 is the middle home value. Neither figure describes a specific property — together they describe the typical homeowner's situation in the county.
The derived effective rate for Philadelphia County is 0.84% (median tax ÷ median value). Treat it as an estimate for comparison only: it comes from survey medians of different households, not from the county's rate schedule.
Philadelphia County by the numbers
| Measure | Philadelphia County | Pennsylvania | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median real estate taxes paid | $1,952 | $3,241 | $2,969 |
| Median home value | $232,400 | $240,500 | $303,400 |
| Derived effective rate* | 0.84% | 1.35% | 0.98% |
| Median tax per month | $163 | $270 | $247 |
*Estimate derived from Census medians (tax ÷ value), not an official rate.
Philadelphia County at a glance
- Median tax rank in Pennsylvania: #48 of 67 counties
- Median home value rank in Pennsylvania: #18 of 67
- Population rank in Pennsylvania: #1 of 67 (1,582,432 residents)
- Population density rank: #1 of 67 (11,781 people per square mile)
- Land area rank in Pennsylvania: #66 of 67 (134 sq mi, 0.3% of the combined county land area)
- Median tax as a monthly figure: $163; per $1,000 of home value: $0.84
How Philadelphia County compares
Set against its state, Philadelphia County's median bill of $1,952 is about 40% lower than the Pennsylvania median ($3,241). Against the country as a whole it is about 34% lower than the US median ($2,969). That places the county #48 of 67 Pennsylvania counties ranked by median taxes paid.
Remember what drives the ranking: bills follow home values as much as rates. Philadelphia County's median home, at $232,400, ranks #18 by value in Pennsylvania, while its derived rate of 0.84% compares with a derived US figure of 0.98%.
Some extra context for Philadelphia County: the median bill works out to about $163 a month, and the derived rate equals roughly $840 of tax per $100,000 of home value. The county is home to 1,582,432 people — the #1 most populous county in Pennsylvania, spread over 134 square miles, a density of about 11,781 people per square mile. Its median home value, $232,400, ranks #18 among the state's 67 counties with data.
Nationally, Philadelphia County's median bill of $1,952 ranks #1103 of 3133 counties with published data — inside the top 35% of counties by tax paid. The county accounts for about 12.2% of Pennsylvania's population, its median home value is about 3% below the state median, and at the derived rate the median home would hand over roughly 8.40% of its value in tax across a decade. Within the state, the distance from Philadelphia County to the most expensive county, Chester County ($6,191), is $4,239 a year.
Counties nearest Philadelphia County in the Pennsylvania ranking
| County | Median tax paid | Median home value | Derived rate* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lawrence County, PA | $1,983 | $136,700 | 1.45% |
| Sullivan County, PA | $1,959 | $186,400 | 1.05% |
| Mercer County, PA | $1,943 | $153,600 | 1.26% |
| Greene County, PA | $1,893 | $146,200 | 1.29% |
How the tax is worked out
As an illustration of the arithmetic: at Philadelphia County's derived rate of 0.84%, a home valued at $400,000 would carry a tax bill of roughly $3,360 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 Philadelphia 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 Philadelphia 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.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the median property tax in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania?
The median real estate tax paid in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania is $1,952 per year, on a median home value of $232,400 (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023).
What is the effective property tax rate in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania?
The derived effective rate is 0.84% — the median bill ($1,952) expressed as a share of the median home value ($232,400). No authority sets a rate this way; it exists to make counties with different home prices comparable.
How does Philadelphia County compare with the rest of Pennsylvania?
By median taxes paid, Philadelphia County stands at #48 among the 67 Pennsylvania counties the Census publishes figures for. Its $1,952 median bill is about 40% lower than the state median ($3,241), and 47 counties in the state record a higher median.
How are property taxes calculated in Philadelphia 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 Philadelphia County is $1,952 of tax on a $232,400 median home value.
Can I appeal my property tax assessment in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania?
Yes — appeals are handled locally. Start with the Philadelphia 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.