What is the property tax rate in Bucks County?

The combined effective property tax rate in Bucks County, Pennsylvania is approximately 1.45%.

Bucks County Property Tax Calculator (2026) — Pennsylvania Property Tax Almanac

Property Tax in Bucks County, 2026

A calculator and field guide for Doylestown-area homeowners — and for anyone considering a move to Bucks County — including Pennsylvania's millage-per-$1,000-AV system, the Common Level Ratio that bridges stale assessments to market value, the per-school-district Homestead Exclusion (Act 1), and the Property Tax/Rent Rebate program for income-qualified seniors.

Bucks County, home to Doylestown and 647k Pennsylvanians, operates within PA's complex multi-layered property tax system. Each county sets its own predetermined assessment ratio, the State Tax Equalization Board issues an annual Common Level Ratio (CLR) to bridge stale assessments to market value, and total tax combines three independent authorities: county + municipality + school district. School district millage typically dominates the bill — often 70%+ of the total.

How the bill is built

Pennsylvania's calculation has three steps. Step 1: Assessed Value. Each county uses its own ratio — some assess at 100% of current market value (Lancaster, Allegheny since 2012), others at lower stated ratios (Bucks at ~3% effective ratio, Philadelphia at 100%). Step 2: Common Level Ratio (CLR). The State Tax Equalization Board calculates an annual CLR to bridge stated AV to current market value. This matters most for stale-assessment counties (Bucks, Chester, Allegheny, Lehigh) where the CLR can be the basis for tax appeal valuation. Step 3: Tax. Multiply AV by the combined millage (county + municipality + school district) and divide by 1,000. For Doylestown, total millage is approximately 27.45 mills.

School district millage is the largest portion of the bill. Pennsylvania has 501 independent school districts, each setting their own millage and Homestead Exclusion. Within Bucks County, school district choice can change a homeowner's annual tax bill by $1,500-$5,000+ on similar-priced homes — making "what school district is this in?" the single most important question for PA relocation buyers.

Homestead Exclusion (Act 1, 2006) is state-funded. Each school district allocates its slot of the state Property Tax Reduction Allocation to homestead-qualified properties — typical reduction is $300-$700 per year. Apply once with the Bucks County Board of Assessment (Form available March 1; deadline March 1 of the following year for that year's bill).

Property Tax/Rent Rebate (PTRR) for seniors and disabled. PA's PTRR program provides up to $1,000 base rebate for income-qualified homeowners 65+ or disabled (income limit raised to $46,520 in 2024). Residents of Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, or Scranton receive supplemental rebates of $500-$1,500. PA also exempts retirement income (including Social Security) from state income tax, which substantially boosts the effective retiree benefit. File Form PA-1000 with PA Department of Revenue.

2026 Bucks County rate breakdown (mills per $1,000 of assessed value × Common Level Ratio, Doylestown district)

Taxing entity	Rate
Bucks County (millage per $1,000)	27.4500
Municipality + School District (typical)	0.0000
Combined total	27.4500

As of April 26, 2026 · From Bucks County Board of Assessment.

Note: Bucks County sits along the Delaware River north of Philadelphia, sharing a long border with New Jersey. The county is anchored by Doylestown (the seat) and the historic Levittown (one of the original post-WWII planned suburban communities, built 1952-1958 by the Levitt family). Bucks combines historic riverfront communities (Yardley, New Hope, Bristol), suburban-grid Levittown, and substantial rural-and-agricultural Upper Bucks (around Quakertown).

Note: Bucks has one of the largest gross median annual property tax bills in Pennsylvania ($5,448) — driven by the combination of high home values (median $376,200) and moderate-to-high school district millage. The county itself has not reassessed since 1972 — assessed values are extraordinarily stale, and the Common Level Ratio has been adjusted by the State Tax Equalization Board annually to bridge stated AV and current market value.

Note: For relocation buyers: Bucks offers a sweet spot for NJ-to-PA tax migration. The Bucks-NJ border (Trenton/Princeton across the Delaware) is one of the most-trafficked relocation corridors in the Northeast — many former NJ residents move to Bucks for substantial property tax savings (1.45% vs NJ's 1.66-2.50%) while maintaining similar home values, school quality, and access to NYC and Philadelphia.

Homestead, exemptions, and senior programs for 2026

Pennsylvania's homeowner tax relief works through three primary mechanisms: (1) the per-school-district Homestead Exclusion, (2) the income-tested Property Tax/Rent Rebate (PTRR) for seniors and disabled, and (3) the Disabled Veterans Real Estate Tax Exemption for 100% service-connected disabled veterans.

Homestead Exclusion (Act 1, 2006)

Pennsylvania's Homestead Exclusion is funded by the state's gaming revenue and allocated to school districts via the Property Tax Reduction Allocation. Each school district then applies the allocation as a reduction in assessed value for owner-occupied homes. Typical reductions in Bucks County range from $300-$700 per year. Apply once with the Bucks County Board of Assessment; the application form becomes available March 1 of each year, with a March 1 deadline of the following year for that year's bill. Once granted, the exclusion auto-renews.

Property Tax/Rent Rebate (PTRR)

Pennsylvania's PTRR is one of the more generous senior property tax programs in the country. Eligible homeowners (65+ or disabled with income under $46,520) receive a base rebate of up to $1,000. Residents of Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Scranton receive an additional $500-$1,500 supplemental rebate. The program is funded by the Pennsylvania Lottery and is filed annually with the PA Department of Revenue (Form PA-1000). The June 30 application deadline applies to the following year's rebate.

Pennsylvania also exempts retirement income (including Social Security) from state income tax — boosting the effective retiree benefit substantially. Combined with PTRR, PA retirees can have very low total state-tax burden despite the moderate-to-high property tax rates.

Disabled Veterans Real Estate Tax Exemption

Pennsylvania veterans with a 100% service-connected disability rating qualify for full property tax exemption — but the exemption is income-tested. Income limit is approximately $108,046 in 2025 (annual cost-of-living adjustment). File Form MV-77L with the PA Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. The State Veterans Commission reviews each application; approval can take several months. Surviving spouses retain the exemption under specific conditions.

Appealing your assessment

Pennsylvania's appeal deadline is typically August 1 in most counties for the following tax year (varies — check with the Bucks County Board of Assessment). The county Board of Assessment Appeals reviews based on comparable sales evidence, with the Common Level Ratio applied to convert market value comparisons to assessed value comparisons. PA's stale-assessment counties (Bucks last reassessed 1972, Chester 1996, Allegheny 2012) have particularly favorable appeal dynamics — recent buyers can often reduce their assessment substantially by demonstrating their purchase price is below the indicated assessed value × CLR.

Cities and towns in Bucks County

Bucks County contains 8 incorporated municipalities, ranging from Doylestown to the smallest village. Search volume for property tax is often city-specific, so here is the complete list — with population from the 2020 US Census, rounded to the nearest 100.

Data: US Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census. Populations rounded. Cities marked as "split" straddle a county border — the portion inside Bucks County is subject to Bucks County's tax rolls, while the portion outside is subject to the adjacent county's.

City or town	Type	Population (2020)
Bensalem	township	60,818
Levittown	cdp	51,726
Bristol	borough	9,538
Quakertown	borough	9,256
Doylestown County seat	borough	8,412
Yardley	borough	2,599
New Hope	borough	2,552
Newtown	borough	2,308

About city-level property tax rates: The rate breakdown and calculator on this page reflect the Doylestown tax district. Other cities in Bucks County may pay into different school districts, city rates, and special districts — so their combined rates can differ, sometimes substantially. Always verify the specific rates for your address with the Bucks County Board of Assessment before relying on any estimate.

Frequently asked questions

When are Bucks County property taxes due?

Pennsylvania has different bill cycles for the three taxing authorities. County and municipal taxes are billed in spring (typically March-April due) with discount available if paid early. School district taxes are billed in summer (typically July-September due). Each authority has its own discount/face/penalty schedule — typically a 2% discount for early payment, then face value, then 10% penalty for late payment.

Why is the school district millage so much higher than the county millage?

Pennsylvania has 501 independent school districts that fund roughly 50-60% of school operating costs through property tax (the remainder comes from state aid and federal funds). Combined with very modest county-level millage (typically 4-8 mills), the school portion ends up dominating the total bill. Within Bucks County, school district choice can change a homeowner's annual tax bill by $1,500-$5,000+ on similar-priced homes.

What is the Common Level Ratio (CLR)?

PA's CLR is an annual State Tax Equalization Board calculation that bridges stated assessed values to current market value. In stale-assessment counties (Bucks last reassessed 1972, Chester 1996, Allegheny 2012, Lehigh 1991), the CLR adjusts upward to compensate for the gap. The CLR matters most for tax appeals — your assessment can be challenged if it produces an effective rate higher than the county's CLR-adjusted level.

How do I qualify for PTRR (Property Tax/Rent Rebate)?

You must be 65+ or disabled, with household income under approximately $46,520 (2024). Residents of Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, or Scranton qualify for additional supplemental rebates. File Form PA-1000 with the PA Department of Revenue by June 30 for the following year's rebate. Pennsylvania also exempts retirement income from state income tax — making PA one of the more retiree-friendly states overall.

About Bucks County

Beyond the property tax — a few things you might not know about the place.

Weird fact

Levittown, PA (built 1952-1958) was the second of three "Levittowns" built by William Levitt — the first being Levittown, NY (1947-1951) and the third Levittown, NJ/Willingboro (1958-1962). Levitt's assembly-line construction techniques produced 17,311 homes in Bucks County's Levittown over six years, at peak rates of 30 completed houses per day. The original Levittown floor plans (the "Rancher," the "Cape," the "Levittowner") still characterize the housing stock — and the original 1950s-era Levittown deeds notoriously included racial covenants restricting Black home buyers, which weren't legally voided until the 1968 Fair Housing Act.

Hometown hero

Pearl S. Buck

The novelist and Nobel Prize-winning author (1892-1973) — author of "The Good Earth" (1931), the best-selling novel of the 1930s — lived at the Green Hills Farm estate in Perkasie (Bucks County) from 1934 until her death. The Pearl S. Buck Historic Site is preserved as a National Historic Landmark and is open to the public. Buck was the first American woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature (1938).

Biggest annual event

Bucks County Designer House + New Hope Auto Show

The Bucks County Designer House (annual, spring-summer at a different historic Bucks County estate each year) raises funds for the Doylestown Hospital and is one of the longest-running designer house tours in the United States (since 1973). The New Hope Auto Show (early August on the New Hope-Solebury High School athletic fields) is one of the largest classic car shows in the Northeast.

Property Tax in Bucks County, 2026