Bucks County Property Taxes 2026: Millage Rates by Municipality, When Bills Are Due, and How to Lower Yours

Updated September 29, 2026 · By Josh McKnight, The McKnight Team, Keller Williams Real Estate · Millage rates from the Bucks County Board of Assessment Appeals sheet dated July 1, 2026. We update this page every July when new rates are set.

The short answer. A Bucks County property tax bill has three parts: the county (29.65 mills in 2026), your township or borough (2 to 51 mills), and your school district (123 to 280 mills). Multiply your assessed value by the total and divide by 1,000. Because Bucks County assessments are a small fraction of market value, a home assessed at $30,000 is worth roughly $535,800 today, and pays about $6,200 a year in Doylestown Township, $5,902 in Newtown Township, and $7,974 in Lower Makefield. The full table for all 54 municipalities is below, along with the bill calendar, how to lower what you owe, and what taxes mean when you buy or sell.

How a Bucks County property tax bill is calculated

Every property in Bucks County has an assessed value set by the county Board of Assessment. That number is not what your home would sell for. The county has not reassessed every property at once in decades, so assessed values sit far below market value. The state publishes a conversion factor each July to bridge the gap; for July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027 the Bucks County factor is 17.86, meaning a $30,000 assessment lines up with a market value near $535,800.

Three taxing bodies apply a rate to that assessed value. A mill is one dollar of tax per $1,000 of assessed value. Add the county, municipal, and school rates together, multiply by your assessed value, and divide by 1,000. That is your annual bill before any homestead exclusion.

You can look up your own assessed value on the Bucks County Board of Assessment parcel search at buckscountyboa.org, or read it off the top of your county tax bill.

2026 Bucks County millage rates by municipality

County and municipal rates are for calendar 2026. School rates are for the 2026-27 school year. The last column shows the annual tax on a home assessed at $30,000, a common assessment for a Bucks County single-family home. Source: Bucks County Board of Assessment Appeals, 2026 Millage Rates, updated July 1, 2026. The county notes that rates are provided by each taxing authority; confirm with your tax collector before relying on a figure at settlement.

Note on Telford Borough: the Bucks County side of Telford is in the Souderton Area School District, which taxes on Montgomery County’s assessment basis, so the county sheet does not list a comparable school rate.

School district rates, highest to lowest

The school district is the largest line on almost every Bucks County bill, usually 65 to 85 percent of the total. Here are the 2026-27 rates for the county’s districts and what each means on a $30,000 assessment.

What changed for 2026

The county rate went from 27.45 mills to 29.65 mills, an 8 percent increase adopted by the commissioners on December 17, 2025 to close a $16.4 million gap in a $517 million budget. On a $30,000 assessment that is about $66 more per year. Bucks was the only Philadelphia collar county that did not raise its rate in 2025, so this was the first county increase since 2024.

School districts also raised rates for 2026-27. Central Bucks moved from 146.55 to 154.90 mills, Council Rock from 144.90 to 149.97, Pennsbury from 204.00 to 211.14, Neshaminy from 190.21 to 198.01, and Pennridge from 140.19 to 144.39. We covered the votes as they happened: Central Bucks, Council Rock, Pennsbury, Pennridge, and the four-county overview.

One borough is changing the mix entirely. Yardley voters decide on October 6, 2026 whether to trade part of the borough property tax for a 1 percent earned income tax. Here is what that vote means if you own or want to buy in Yardley.

When Bucks County tax bills arrive and when they are due

Bucks County property taxes are collected by an elected tax collector in each municipality, not by the county. You get two bills a year.

The combined county and municipal bill mails around March 1 and covers January 1 through December 31. Pay by April 30 for a 2 percent discount, at face value from May 1 through June 30, and with a 10 percent penalty after June 30.

The school district bill mails around July 1 and covers July 1 through June 30. Pay by August 31 for a 2 percent discount, at face value September 1 through October 31, and with a 10 percent penalty from November 1. Unpaid school taxes are liened after the year ends. Under Act 1, districts offer an installment option on the school bill; Council Rock, for example, takes three equal payments due August 31, October 15, and November 30.

If your mortgage has an escrow account, your lender pays both bills and spreads the cost across your monthly payment. Check the escrow analysis your lender sends each year, because a rate increase like 2026’s shows up there as a higher monthly payment.

How to lower your Bucks County property tax bill

Homestead and farmstead exclusion. If the home is your primary residence, this state program knocks a fixed amount off the assessed value your school district taxes. Apply once through the Bucks County Board of Assessment Appeals (55 East Court Street, Doylestown, 215-348-6219). The deadline is March 1 for the school year starting that July. If you record a new deed, including a refinance, you must reapply within 45 days. The exclusion varies by district; Pennridge, for example, publishes $339.04 per homestead for 2026-27.

Assessment appeal. If you believe your assessed value is too high compared to similar homes, file an annual appeal with the Board of Assessment Appeals by the first business day of August. The residential fee is $75 and changes take effect the following tax year. New construction, recent additions, and homes that were reassessed after a permit are the most common cases where an appeal pays off. We pull comparable sales from Bright MLS for clients at no charge.

Pennsylvania Property Tax/Rent Rebate. Homeowners 65 and older, widows and widowers 50 and older, and people with disabilities 18 and older with household income up to $48,110 (half of Social Security excluded) can get a rebate of up to $1,000 from the state, with supplemental amounts for some homeowners. The 2026 filing deadline was extended to December 31, 2026.

School district senior rebates. Several Bucks districts add their own rebate for residents who receive the state rebate. Central Bucks pays 50 percent of the state rebate up to $750 for households at or under $46,250. Council Rock matches the state rebate up to $1,500 for incomes at or under $45,000. Pennsbury approved a senior citizen rebate in June 2026 for homeowners 65 and older with income under $48,110, with applications due June 30, 2027. Check your district’s business office page for the current form. Here is our walkthrough of the Central Bucks program.

What property taxes mean when you buy or sell in Bucks County

Buyers. The tax figure on a listing is usually last year’s bill, and it may not include the 2026 increases. Recalculate it with the table above and the assessed value from the county parcel record. Compare the assessment to similar homes on the street; a newer home or a recent addition often carries a higher assessment than the older colonial next door, and that difference lasts as long as you own it. Then set your monthly budget with the real number, because your lender’s escrow will.

Sellers. Taxes are prorated at settlement, so you pay through the closing date and the buyer takes over from there. The title company orders a tax certification from your municipal collector, typically $25 to $30, to prove the account is current. If you have an assessment appeal pending or a homestead exclusion in place, tell your agent, because both affect what the buyer’s lender sees. Pennsylvania is not an attorney state; your agent and the title company handle this at closing.

If you are weighing two townships, the total millage is only half the picture. A $30,000 assessment in Buckingham Township ($5,679 a year) and the same assessment in Bristol Township ($8,754 a year) sit more than $3,000 apart, but the homes behind those assessments sell at very different prices. We run this comparison for buyers on every Bucks County search.

Frequently asked questions

How are property taxes calculated in Bucks County?

Multiply your assessed value by the total millage for your municipality and divide by 1,000. Bucks County assessed values are a small fraction of market value, so a home assessed at $30,000 is worth roughly $535,800 today under the state’s 2026 conversion factor of 17.86. At the 2026 rate in Doylestown Township, that home pays about $6,200 a year across county, township, and Central Bucks school taxes.

What is the Bucks County property tax rate for 2026?

The county rate is 29.65 mills for 2026, up from 27.45 mills in 2025. On top of that, each municipality sets its own rate (from 2.00 mills in Milford Township to 51.39 mills in Bristol Borough) and each school district sets its own rate (from 123.41 mills in Palisades to 279.86 mills in Morrisville Borough). Total rates run from about 159.06 mills in Bridgeton Township to 346.51 mills in Morrisville Borough.

Which part of a Bucks County tax bill is the largest?

The school district. In most Bucks County municipalities, school taxes are 65 to 85 percent of the total bill. The county share is about 29.65 mills and the municipal share is usually under 30 mills, while school rates run from 123 to 280 mills.

When are Bucks County property taxes due?

The combined county and municipal bill mails around March 1, with a 2 percent discount through April 30, face value May 1 through June 30, and a 10 percent penalty after June 30. School district bills mail around July 1, with a 2 percent discount through August 31, face value September 1 through October 31, and a 10 percent penalty from November 1. Most districts offer three installments on the school bill under Act 1.

How do I apply for the homestead exclusion in Bucks County?

File the Homestead and Farmstead Application with the Bucks County Board of Assessment Appeals by March 1 for the school year that starts the following July. The exclusion reduces the assessed value your school district taxes. If you record a new deed, including a refinance, you must reapply within 45 days. The form is on the Board of Assessment page at buckscounty.gov.

How do I appeal my Bucks County assessment?

File an annual appeal with the Board of Assessment Appeals by the first business day of August (the 2026 deadline was August 3). The residential filing fee is $75. A successful appeal takes effect the following tax year. Bring recent comparable sales; we can pull them for you from Bright MLS at no charge.

Do I pay property taxes at closing when I buy a home in Bucks County?

Yes. Taxes are prorated at settlement. The seller pays through the closing date and the buyer takes over from there, and the title company collects a tax certification from the municipal tax collector (typically $25 to $30) to confirm nothing is owed. If you escrow with your lender, your monthly payment will include one twelfth of the annual county, municipal, and school bills.

Why is my neighbor’s tax bill different from mine?

Because Bucks County has not reassessed county-wide in decades, two similar homes can carry different assessed values depending on when they were built or last changed. New construction and major additions get current assessments, which is why newer homes often pay more than older homes of the same size on the same street. That gap is one of the first things to check before you buy.

Also see our Montgomery County property tax guide and our guide to choosing a real estate agent in Bucks County.

Thinking about buying or selling in Bucks County? Let’s talk.

Sources and updates

Bucks County Board of Assessment Appeals, 2026 Millage Rates (updated July 1, 2026) and Homestead/Farmstead Application (2027). Pennsylvania Department of Revenue, Common Level Ratio Real Estate Valuation Factors for July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027. Bucks County Commissioners budget release, December 17, 2025; WHYY and The Philadelphia Inquirer coverage of the same vote. Newtown Township Tax Office and Chalfont Borough tax pages for the bill calendar. Pennridge, Central Bucks, Council Rock, and Pennsbury school district tax pages for rates and rebate programs. Pennsylvania Treasury and Lower Bucks Times for the 2026 Property Tax/Rent Rebate program. All sources opened September 29, 2026. This page is a guide, not tax advice; confirm figures with your tax collector or the Board of Assessment before relying on them at settlement.