Property Tax in York County, Pennsylvania
The median real estate tax bill in York County, Pennsylvania is $3,947 per year, and the median home is worth $235,000. 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 York County numbers mean
A median is the middle household: half of owner-occupied households in York County pay more than $3,947, 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 1.68% for York 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 York County
| Measure | York County |
|---|---|
| Median real estate taxes paid per year | $3,947 |
| Median home value | $235,000 |
| Derived effective rate* | 1.68% |
| Equivalent monthly tax | $329 |
| Tax per $100,000 of value (derived) | $1,680 |
| Illustrative tax on a $400,000 home (derived rate) | $6,720 |
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.
York County at a glance
- Median tax rank in Pennsylvania: #9 of 67 counties
- Median home value rank in Pennsylvania: #17 of 67
- Population rank in Pennsylvania: #8 of 67 (459,312 residents)
- Population density rank: #11 of 67 (508 people per square mile)
- Land area rank in Pennsylvania: #13 of 67 (904 sq mi, 2.0% of the combined county land area)
- Median tax as a monthly figure: $329; per $1,000 of home value: $1.68
How York County compares
Set against its state, York County's median bill of $3,947 is about 22% higher than the Pennsylvania median ($3,241). Against the country as a whole it is about 33% higher than the US median ($2,969). That places the county #9 of 67 Pennsylvania counties ranked by median taxes paid.
Remember what drives the ranking: bills follow home values as much as rates. York County's median home, at $235,000, ranks #17 by value in Pennsylvania, while its derived rate of 1.68% compares with a derived US figure of 0.98%.
Some extra context for York County: the median bill works out to about $329 a month, and the derived rate equals roughly $1,680 of tax per $100,000 of home value. The county is home to 459,312 people — the #8 most populous county in Pennsylvania, spread over 904 square miles, a density of about 508 people per square mile. Its median home value, $235,000, ranks #17 among the state's 67 counties with data.
Nationally, York County's median bill of $3,947 ranks #235 of 3133 counties with published data — inside the top 8% of counties by tax paid. The county accounts for about 3.5% of Pennsylvania's population, its median home value is about 2% below the state median, and at the derived rate the median home would hand over roughly 16.80% of its value in tax across a decade. Within the state, the distance from York County to the most expensive county, Chester County ($6,191), is $2,244 a year.
Counties nearest York County in the Pennsylvania ranking
| County | Median tax paid | Median home value | Derived rate* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monroe County, PA | $4,435 | $241,200 | 1.84% |
| Berks County, PA | $4,238 | $239,700 | 1.77% |
| Lancaster County, PA | $3,941 | $279,400 | 1.41% |
| Adams County, PA | $3,569 | $256,100 | 1.39% |
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. York County's medians imply a derived rate of 1.68%; applied illustratively, a $400,000 home would owe about $6,720 a year, or around $560 a month spread evenly. Individual properties depart from the illustration in both directions.
Checking your assessment in York 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 York 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 York County, Pennsylvania?
The median real estate tax paid in York County, Pennsylvania is $3,947 per year, on a median home value of $235,000 (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023).
What is the effective property tax rate in York County, Pennsylvania?
On a derived basis, 1.68%: the county's median tax bill of $3,947 divided by its median home value of $235,000. Because it is calculated from two survey medians, read it as a comparison estimate rather than an official rate.
How does York County compare with the rest of Pennsylvania?
York County ranks #9 of 67 Pennsylvania counties with published data by median taxes paid. Its median bill of $3,947 is about 22% higher than the Pennsylvania median of $3,241.
How are property taxes calculated in York 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 York County is $3,947 of tax on a $235,000 median home value.
Can I appeal my property tax assessment in York County, Pennsylvania?
You can. Pull your property record card from the York 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.