Property Tax in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania
The median real estate tax bill in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania is $2,473 per year, and the median home is worth $193,100. Both figures are the US Census Bureau's survey medians for owner-occupied households (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023).
What the Westmoreland County numbers mean
The median is the midpoint of the county's actual bills: half of Westmoreland County homeowners pay more than $2,473 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 $193,100, the median bill works out to a derived effective rate of 1.28%. 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 Westmoreland County
| Measure | Westmoreland County |
|---|---|
| Median real estate taxes paid per year | $2,473 |
| Median home value | $193,100 |
| Derived effective rate* | 1.28% |
| Equivalent monthly tax | $206 |
| Tax per $100,000 of value (derived) | $1,281 |
| Illustrative tax on a $400,000 home (derived rate) | $5,124 |
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.
Westmoreland County at a glance
- Median tax rank in Pennsylvania: #31 of 67 counties
- Median home value rank in Pennsylvania: #34 of 67
- Population rank in Pennsylvania: #11 of 67 (353,345 residents)
- Population density rank: #18 of 67 (344 people per square mile)
- Land area rank in Pennsylvania: #8 of 67 (1,027 sq mi, 2.3% of the combined county land area)
- Median tax as a monthly figure: $206; per $1,000 of home value: $1.28
How Westmoreland County compares
The median tax bill in Westmoreland County is about 24% lower than the state median ($3,241 for Pennsylvania) and about 17% lower than the US median ($2,969 nationally). By median taxes paid, the county ranks #31 out of 67 Pennsylvania counties with published Census data — 30 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. Westmoreland County's derived rate of 1.28% sits above the derived US figure of 0.98%.
Some extra context for Westmoreland County: the median bill works out to about $206 a month, and the derived rate equals roughly $1,281 of tax per $100,000 of home value. The county is home to 353,345 people — the #11 most populous county in Pennsylvania, spread over 1,027 square miles, a density of about 344 people per square mile. Its median home value, $193,100, ranks #34 among the state's 67 counties with data.
Zooming out: of 3133 counties nationwide with published Census figures, only 703 record a higher median tax bill than Westmoreland County — it sits in the top 22% nationally. The county holds roughly 2.7% of Pennsylvania's people. Its homes are worth less than the state norm (median $193,100 versus $240,500), and a decade at the derived rate of 1.28% adds up to about 12.81% of the median home's value in tax. The cheapest county in the state, Forest County, medians $1,162 — $1,311 less than Westmoreland County per year.
Counties nearest Westmoreland County in the Pennsylvania ranking
| County | Median tax paid | Median home value | Derived rate* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Luzerne County, PA | $2,506 | $163,800 | 1.53% |
| Montour County, PA | $2,475 | $240,300 | 1.03% |
| Washington County, PA | $2,445 | $220,600 | 1.11% |
| Snyder County, PA | $2,402 | $205,500 | 1.17% |
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 1.28%, each $100,000 of value corresponds to about $1,281 of tax a year, and a $400,000 home to roughly $5,124. 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 Westmoreland 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 Westmoreland 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 Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania?
The median real estate tax paid in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania is $2,473 per year, on a median home value of $193,100 (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023).
What is the effective property tax rate in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania?
On a derived basis, 1.28%: the county's median tax bill of $2,473 divided by its median home value of $193,100. Because it is calculated from two survey medians, read it as a comparison estimate rather than an official rate.
How does Westmoreland County compare with the rest of Pennsylvania?
By median taxes paid, Westmoreland County stands at #31 among the 67 Pennsylvania counties the Census publishes figures for. Its $2,473 median bill is about 24% lower than the state median ($3,241), and 30 counties in the state record a higher median.
How are property taxes calculated in Westmoreland 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 Westmoreland County, the median outcome of that process is a bill of $2,473 on a median home value of $193,100.
Can I appeal my property tax assessment in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania?
You can. Pull your property record card from the Westmoreland 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.