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County tax profile · 2026 · Census ACS + IRS data

Property Tax & Income in Berks County, Pennsylvania

Berks County has an effective property tax rate of 1.65%. On the median home value of $257,300, that's roughly $4,239 per year. Median household income is $79,777.

Effective Property Tax Rate1
1.65%
median tax $4,239 ÷ median home $257,300
Median Home Value1
$257,300
owner-occupied
Median Household Income1
$79,777
per-capita $39,815
Est. Annual Tax on Median Home1
$4,239
at 1.65% effective rate

What you'll pay, at a glance

Property taxes are the largest local tax most homeowners pay. The effective rate measures the real tax bill as a share of home value — a more useful number than the nominal “mill rate,” because assessment practices vary county to county.

MetricBerks CountyPennsylvania (state context)
Effective property tax rate11.65%1.27%
Median home value1$257,300—
State income tax3top rate 3.07%top rate 3.07%
State sales tax36.34% combined6.34% combined

How this is calculated

The effective property tax rate is the median real-estate tax bill divided by the median home value — both for owner-occupied homes, from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS 5-year estimates)1. Median income is also from the ACS1. Federal and state income-tax figures use IRS2 and Tax Foundation3 data.

About Berks County, PA

Berks County's effective property tax rate of 1.647% sits well above Pennsylvania's statewide median of 1.269%, and it ranks third among the state's 67 counties on that measure. Against the national median of 0.794%, the gap widens considerably—Berks homeowners pay roughly twice the national share of home value in annual taxes. A median home value of $257,300 produces a median annual tax bill of $4,239. With median household income at $79,777 and per-capita income at $39,815, that bill absorbs a meaningful share of earnings. Reading, the county's largest city, anchors a region where property taxes run high by both state and national standards, a signal that local governments and school districts lean heavily on the property tax to fund services.

Frequently asked questions

What is the property tax rate in Berks County, PA?
The effective rate is 1.65% — meaning the median tax bill equals about 1.65% of the median home value.
How much are property taxes on a median home?
On the median home ($257,300), the estimated annual bill is about $4,239.
Is Berks County's rate high or low?
Compare it to the state median of 1.27% and the national average near 1.1%.
How does the effective rate differ from my mill rate?
A mill rate is the nominal levy per $1,000 of assessed value. The effective rate reflects what you actually pay after exemptions and assessments — it's the median tax bill as a share of median home value, so it better predicts your real cost.
Will a reassessment raise my tax bill?
Not necessarily. If your home's assessed value rises, your bill can go up, but only if the mill rate and exemptions stay flat. Contact the Berks County assessor's office to review your current assessment.
Can I appeal my property tax assessment?
Yes. Most counties allow an appeal when you believe the assessed value exceeds the market value. File with the Berks County assessor within the local deadline, typically with comparable sales as evidence.
Sources
[1] U.S. Census Bureau — ACS 5-Year (2023) — Median home value (B25077), median real-estate taxes (B25103), median household income (B19013), per-capita income (B19301).
[2] IRS — Statistics of Income — County income, AGI, and real-estate taxes paid.
[3] Tax Foundation — State income, sales, corporate, and estate/inheritance tax rates.