Dauphin County, Pennsylvania property tax
The median homeowner in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania pays $3,171 a year in property tax on a home worth $222,300, an effective rate of 1.43%. The national effective rate is 0.98%.
What the rate means here
At 1.43%, Dauphin County taxes property more heavily than the country as a whole, which sits at 0.98%. Houses here are worth $222,300, 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 #20 of 66 Pennsylvania counties by effective rate, against a statewide 1.35%, and #447 nationally. The state runs from 1.98% in Delaware County down to 0.81% in Bedford County.
The median home costs 3 times the median household income of $74,159, against 3.86 nationally, which is a comfortable ratio by American standards. 63.32% of occupied homes are owned rather than rented, and cheap housing relative to income is usually why. At 287,484 residents the county is large enough that its median blends several distinct housing markets.
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
| Dauphin County | Pennsylvania | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Effective property tax | 1.43% | 1.35% | 0.98% |
| Median tax bill | $3,171 | $3,241 | $2,969 |
| Median home value | $222,300 | $240,500 | $303,400 |
| Median gross rent | $1,153 | $1,162 | $1,348 |
| Median household income | $74,159 | $76,081 | $78,538 |
| Home price to income | 3× | 3.16× | 3.86× |
| Rent as share of income | 18.66% | 18.33% | 20.6% |
| Owner-occupied | 63.32% | 69.33% | 65.02% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 five-year estimates. Population 287,484.
Nearby counties of similar size
| County | Rate | Median bill | Home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Erie County | 1.62% | $2,754 | $169,500 |
| Cumberland County | 1.21% | $3,180 | $261,900 |
| Northampton County | 1.65% | $4,710 | $285,000 |
| Luzerne County | 1.53% | $2,506 | $163,800 |
| Westmoreland County | 1.28% | $2,473 | $193,100 |
Dauphin County property tax: common questions
What is the property tax rate in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania?
The effective rate is 1.43% of home value, from a median tax bill of $3,171 against a median home value of $222,300. That is 0.45 points above the national 0.98%.
How much is property tax on a $400,000 home in Dauphin County?
Roughly $5,720 a year at the county effective rate of 1.43%.
Is Dauphin County expensive compared with the rest of Pennsylvania?
It ranks #20 of 66 Pennsylvania counties by effective property tax rate, and #447 of 2,826 nationally. That is 0.08 points above the Pennsylvania average of 1.35%.
What does housing cost in Dauphin County?
The median home is worth $222,300 and median gross rent is $1,153 a month. Median household income is $74,159, which puts the home at 3 times annual income and rent at 18.66% of it.