Pennsylvania residents in the suburbs of Philadelphia are paying the highest school district taxes in the Commonwealth, says a new report released by the Independent Fiscal Office.
According to the report, the collar counties have the highest school district taxes by a large margin. The median school tax for a homeowner in Pennsylvania is $2,700. The report found the high end of the figure to be over $5,000 and the low end under $500.
In Chester County, residents pay the highest median school district taxes at $5,386. In Montgomery County, the median is $5,009.
Delaware County follows at $4,952, and Bucks at $4,909.
The next highest county is a shocking $1,300 less than Bucks County: Northampton County residents pay a median of $3,571 in school district taxes.
Under Philadelphia’s separate tax system, the median school property tax bill is only $1,086.
Cameron, McKean, and Cambria Counties had the lowest school district tax rates according to the report at $432, $518, and $755 respectively.
The highest median home purchase prices include the counties that pay the highest school district tax rate. The median home price in Chester County is $556,000. In Bucks County, the price is $475,000, in Montgomery, $450,000, and in Delaware County, $375,000.
The median household incomes for Chester, Bucks, Montgomery, and Delaware Counties are $123,041, $111,951, $111,521, and $88,576 respectively.
Delaware County residents take a harder hit from their school district taxes with a much lower median household income.
Over the past several years, county taxes in the Philadelphia suburbs have been raised significantly. Delaware County’s taxes were raised by a staggering 53 percent over the course of just three years. For 2026, Council raised taxes in Delaware County by 19 percent.
In Bucks County, taxes were increased by eight percent for the past few years. In Montgomery County, taxes were raised by four percent for 2026.
In the Philadelphia suburban region, taxes are only continuing to rise for residents.
