How your Allegheny County property taxes went up
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Homeowners in Allegheny County will be hit with increased bills this year.
Why it matters: The county raised property taxes for the first time in over a decade this year to address a ballooning budget deficit and expiring federal aid.
Driving the news: Allegheny County homeowners will soon have to pay their 2025 property taxes as statements will be sent sometime in February, per the county treasurer's office.
By the numbers: The new county property tax rate is 6.43 mills, up from 4.73 mills.
- One mill equals $1 of tax for every $1,000 of the assessed value of a property.
- That's $157 more per year for a home assessed at the county's median value of $110,400 when factoring in the county's Homestead Exemption, which gives a discount on owner-occupied properties by reducing their assessed value by $18,000.
The intrigue: Allegheny County created a property tax calculator to help residents understand how much they are going to pay under the increased millage rate.
- Just enter your address and your monthly increase will be provided.
How it works: Homeowners who have paid off their mortgage should pay their county property taxes in a lump sum payment for the year to the county treasurer by March 31 to receive a 2% discount.
- Property owners who pay after March but by April 30 won't face any penalty fees.
Yes, but: Residents still paying off their mortgage will pay their tax increases through their monthly mortgage payments.
- They should receive notice that their escrow payments will be increasing, said Ed Hirshberg, a property tax lawyer at Ryan Law firm in Downtown Pittsburgh.
- Hirshberg said the upped mortgage payments might not perfectly align with the county's tax calculator because lenders factor in different variables.
Fun fact: Assessed property values are not the same as market value estimates by companies like Zillow, and will likely be lower than those estimates, since Allegheny County has not completed a countywide reassessment in over a decade.
What's next: Allegheny County property owners will soon have to pay their 2025 property taxes as statements will be sent sometime in February, per the county treasurer's office.
The bottom line: Allegheny County was just one level of local government to raise its taxes. Check the current tax rates or your local municipality and school district to determine your total local tax bill.