By Josh McKnight | The McKnight Team
Darby Township commissioners will vote Wednesday, November 4, on a new 1% tax on earned income and net profits. If Ordinance 766 passes, it takes effect January 1, 2027. A resident earning $60,000 a year would pay $600.
The Darby Township earned income tax would come out of your paycheck, withheld by your employer like any other local tax. The money goes to the general fund. The meeting starts at 7 p.m. at 21 N. Bartram Avenue in Glenolden, and it is the last public chance to speak before the vote.
How Much Would the Darby Township Earned Income Tax Cost You?
The math is simple. Multiply your wages by 1%. A $45,000 salary means $450 a year. Two earners making $110,000 combined would pay $1,100. If you are self-employed, you pay the same 1% on the net profit from a business you own. Business losses cannot be used to lower the tax on your wages.
Some income is not touched at all. The earned income tax in Pennsylvania does not reach Social Security, pensions, or other retirement income. The ordinance also leaves out pay for active military service. A retired owner living on a pension would see no change.
Here is why owners should pay attention anyway. Darby Township homes sold for a median of $232,150 from April through September 2026, with a median of 9 days to contract, per Bright MLS data in our Delaware County housing market report. Only 15 homes were for sale when that report was pulled in early October. Our read: a wage tax changes what a buyer has left each month, not what your house is worth today. With supply this thin, $50 a month is unlikely to move prices. Buyers will still ask about it.
Who Pays It, and Who Does Not?
If you live in Darby Township, the tax covers your wages wherever you earn them. Pennsylvania gives the first claim to the town where you live. So if you already pay a local tax to the town where you work, part of the new bill may replace that tax instead of adding to it. Check your pay stub to see what you pay now.
Philadelphia works differently. If you work in the city, you already pay its wage tax, and the state credits that tax against your local earned income tax. The city rate is well above 1%, so most residents who work in Philadelphia would owe nothing new.
People who live elsewhere but work in the township are covered by the ordinance too. In most cases, the tax where they live comes first.
When Would You Start Paying?
If commissioners adopt the ordinance on November 4, the tax starts January 1, 2027. Employers must register and begin withholding. Residents with income that is not withheld, such as business profits, will file returns with the township tax collector. Nothing is owed on 2026 income.
Collection runs through the Delaware County Tax Collection Committee, which sets the rules for local wage taxes across most of the county. Penalties and interest follow the state Local Tax Enabling Act, the same law every township uses. Commissioners can still amend or hold the ordinance on November 4, so the Darby Township earned income tax is not final until they vote. If you want a say, the public comment period at that meeting is your chance.
Before You Buy or Sell in Darby Township
If you plan to sell in 2027, have the tax facts ready before your first showing. A 1% tax on a $60,000 salary works out to $50 a month. It does not change a mortgage payment, but it does change take-home pay, and a buyer who hears about it late can get nervous. Price your home on recent sales, not on fear of the vote.
If you plan to buy, run your budget with the 1% included. Then compare the full monthly cost, taxes and all, with the other towns on your list. If you are also looking a few miles west, our Morton community page has the latest Bright MLS numbers for that market.
Thinking about buying or selling in Darby Township? Let’s talk.
