Adams County, Pennsylvania property tax
The median homeowner in Adams County, Pennsylvania pays $3,569 a year in property tax on a home worth $256,100, an effective rate of 1.39%. The national effective rate is 0.98%.
What the rate means here
At 1.39%, Adams County taxes property more heavily than the country as a whole, which sits at 0.98%. Houses here are worth $256,100, below the national $303,400. Part of any high rate is arithmetic rather than policy: a smaller tax base has to be taxed harder to raise the same money.
It ranks #25 of 66 Pennsylvania counties by effective rate, against a statewide 1.35%, and #487 nationally. The state runs from 1.98% in Delaware County down to 0.81% in Bedford County.
The median home costs 3.16 times the median household income of $81,071, close to the national 3.86. The county has 105,183 residents, which is small enough that the medians describe a reasonably coherent market.
The rate is derived rather than quoted. How and why.
What that costs at different home values
Arithmetic at the county effective rate, before any exemption or assessment cap.
Housing and income
| Adams County | Pennsylvania | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Effective property tax | 1.39% | 1.35% | 0.98% |
| Median tax bill | $3,569 | $3,241 | $2,969 |
| Median home value | $256,100 | $240,500 | $303,400 |
| Median gross rent | $1,084 | $1,162 | $1,348 |
| Median household income | $81,071 | $76,081 | $78,538 |
| Home price to income | 3.16× | 3.16× | 3.86× |
| Rent as share of income | 16.05% | 18.33% | 20.6% |
| Owner-occupied | 79.06% | 69.33% | 65.02% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 five-year estimates. Population 105,183.
Nearby counties of similar size
| County | Rate | Median bill | Home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mercer County | 1.26% | $1,943 | $153,600 |
| Lycoming County | 1.35% | $2,647 | $195,600 |
| Northumberland County | 1.17% | $1,778 | $151,600 |
| Blair County | 1.09% | $1,711 | $156,700 |
| Lawrence County | 1.45% | $1,983 | $136,700 |
Adams County property tax: common questions
What is the property tax rate in Adams County, Pennsylvania?
The effective rate is 1.39% of home value, from a median tax bill of $3,569 against a median home value of $256,100. That is 0.41 points above the national 0.98%.
How much is property tax on a $400,000 home in Adams County?
Roughly $5,560 a year at the county effective rate of 1.39%.
Is Adams County expensive compared with the rest of Pennsylvania?
It ranks #25 of 66 Pennsylvania counties by effective property tax rate, and #487 of 2,826 nationally. That is 0.04 points above the Pennsylvania average of 1.35%.
What does housing cost in Adams County?
The median home is worth $256,100 and median gross rent is $1,084 a month. Median household income is $81,071, which puts the home at 3.16 times annual income and rent at 16.05% of it.