How Much Are Property Taxes in Montgomery County, PA?
Property taxes in Montgomery County, PA come from three separate bills: the county, your township or borough, and your school district, and the school district is almost always the biggest piece. The median school tax on a Montgomery County homestead is about $5,009 a year according to Pennsylvania's Independent Fiscal Office, and total bills vary a lot from town to town. To estimate taxes on any home, multiply its assessed value by the combined millage rate, then divide by 1,000.
How are property taxes calculated in Montgomery County?
Every Montgomery County home has an assessed value set by the county, and each taxing body sets a millage rate. One mill equals $1 of tax for every $1,000 of assessed value. Your yearly tax is:
Assessed value x combined millage / 1,000 = annual property tax
Here is a real example. In Lower Gwynedd Township, the township rate is 1.223 mills and the Wissahickon School District rate for 2025 to 2026 is 25.654 mills. Add the county's 2026 rate of 5.952 mills (5.462 for the county plus 0.49 for Montgomery County Community College) and the combined rate is about 32.8 mills. A home assessed at $150,000 would owe roughly $4,924 a year before any homestead exclusion.
Change the town or the school district and that number can move by thousands of dollars on homes at the same price. That is why the first tax question to ask about any listing is: which school district is this home in?
Why is the assessed value so much lower than the asking price?
Montgomery County assessments are based on 1996 base-year market values, so most assessments sit far below today's prices. That is normal and does not mean the home is underassessed.
The state publishes a Common Level Ratio (CLR) factor each year to bridge old assessments and current market values. As of July 1, 2026, Montgomery County's CLR factor is 3.36, up from 3.25 the year before. In plain terms, across the county, market values run a little more than three times assessed values. Individual homes vary, so always use the actual assessment on the county record, not a guess based on price.
Will my property taxes go up after I buy?
Buying a home in Montgomery County does not automatically trigger a new assessment. In most cases you inherit the seller's assessed value. Your bill can still change in two ways:
Rates change. School districts, municipalities, and the county set new rates every year. Montgomery County raised its tax rate by 4 percent for 2026 after a nearly 13 percent increase for 2024.
Assessment appeals. In Pennsylvania, school districts and other taxing bodies can file assessment appeals, and some in our region review recent sales when choosing which properties to appeal. If the price you are paying is far above what the current assessment suggests, ask us about this before you write your offer.
Which part of my tax bill is the largest?
School taxes. They usually make up the majority of a Montgomery County tax bill. The Philadelphia suburbs pay the highest school taxes in Pennsylvania: Chester County has the highest median school tax at $5,386, followed by Montgomery County at $5,009, Delaware County at $4,952, and Bucks County at $4,909.
What is the homestead exclusion and how do I get it?
The homestead exclusion lowers the assessed value used to calculate your school taxes on your primary residence. The amount is set by each school district, so the savings vary by town.
It only applies to the home you live in as your primary residence.
You apply once with the Montgomery County Board of Assessment Appeals, not every year.
The deadline is March 1 for the school tax year that starts July 1.
Sellers' exclusions do not transfer to you, so put this on your to-do list right after closing. We remind every buyer we work with.
When are property taxes due in Montgomery County?
You will usually see two kinds of bills. County and township or borough bills generally go out early in the calendar year, and school district bills go out in the summer, usually July. Many bills offer a small discount for paying early and a penalty for paying late.
If you have a mortgage with an escrow account, your lender collects a share of these taxes with each monthly payment and pays the bills for you.
How can I check the taxes on a specific home?
Look up the parcel on Montgomery County's property records site to see the assessed value.
Find the current millage for that municipality and school district on their websites.
Or ask us. We pull the tax record for every home we show so you can compare true monthly costs, not just list prices.
Want the real monthly cost of a home before you fall in love with it?
The Shaina McAndrews Team at eXp Realty has helped Greater Philadelphia buyers for more than 10 years. We are licensed in PA and NJ, and we plant a tree for every home we close (more than 1,000 so far). On a quick call, we will compare taxes across the towns you are considering and show you what fits your budget.
Schedule a Buyer Strategy Consultation
Search Montgomery County Homes
Call or text 215.767.7150 or visit MontCoLiving.com.
Sources
Pennsylvania Independent Fiscal Office report on school district taxes, as reported by Philly Daily (January 2026)
Montgomery County 2026 Adopted Budget (county and community college millage)
Lower Gwynedd Township 2026 Budget Presentation (township and school district millage)
Montgomery County Realty Transfer Tax page (Common Level Ratio factor, July 1, 2026)
Montgomery County Homestead and Farmstead Exclusion application
