Property tax in Columbia County, Pennsylvania
The median property tax bill in Columbia County, Pennsylvania is $2,286 a year, which is about 1.11% of the county's median home value of $206,200. That effective rate is lower than the typical Pennsylvania county (1.27%) and higher than the national median (0.81%). These are American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2024); your own bill depends on your home's assessed value and any exemptions.
Estimate the property tax on a home in Columbia County
Enter a home's market value for a ballpark at Columbia County's average effective rate of 1.11% (Census). The real bill depends on the home's assessed value, the millage where it sits and any exemptions.
Estimated property tax: $2,289 / year
Property tax in Columbia County at a glance
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Median annual property tax | $2,286 |
| Median home value | $206,200 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.11% |
| Typical Pennsylvania county rate | 1.27% |
| National median county rate | 0.81% |
Effective rate = median real estate taxes paid divided by median home value. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates.
How does Columbia County compare in Pennsylvania?
Among Pennsylvania's 67 counties, Columbia County has the 46th highest effective property-tax rate: 45 rank higher and 21 rank lower. That is on the lower side for Pennsylvania. Nationally, it ranks 883rd of 3135 US counties by effective rate. See every Pennsylvania county ranked.
How much do homeowners in Columbia County actually pay?
The median is only the middle bill. Across Columbia County's 18,313 owner-occupied homes, 30.4% pay $3,000 or more a year in property tax, 56.7% pay at least $2,000, and 8.9% pay under $800. Another 1.6% report paying no property tax at all, which usually means an exemption covers the whole bill.
| Annual bill | Homes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under $800 | 1,637 | 8.9% |
| $800 to $1,499 | 3,225 | 17.6% |
| $1,500 to $1,999 | 2,769 | 15.1% |
| $2,000 to $2,999 | 4,820 | 26.3% |
| $3,000 or more | 5,566 | 30.4% |
| No property tax paid | 296 | 1.6% |
Owners with a mortgage pay a median of $2,346 and owners without one pay $2,218. That is within 10% either way, so in Columbia County paying off the house does not go with a noticeably different bill. Census table B25103.
How does the Columbia County property tax bill compare with local incomes?
The median property tax bill of $2,286 is about 2.9% of the median income of Columbia County homeowner households, $77,719 a year. That compares two middles, so a retiree in a long-held home can pay a far larger share. 69.5% of Columbia County's occupied homes are lived in by their owners; renters pay property tax too, just folded into rent.
Have property taxes gone up in Columbia County?
Yes. The median bill went from $1,820 in 2015-2019 to $2,286 in 2020-2024, a 25.6% rise. Over the same span the median home value moved 35.9%, from $151,700 to $206,200. Bills rose more slowly than values, which is what assessment caps and falling millage rates do: the county is taxing a smaller share of each home's worth.
Two Census ACS 5-year periods with no survey years in common, in each period's own dollars. A change counts only if it exceeds the combined 90% margin of error.
Property tax in counties next to Columbia County
Columbia County borders 6 counties.
| County | Effective rate | Median bill | Median home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Luzerne County, PA | 1.45% | $2,530 | $174,100 |
| Schuylkill County, PA | 1.4% | $2,140 | $153,000 |
| Lycoming County, PA | 1.31% | $2,649 | $202,200 |
| Columbia County, PA (this county) | 1.11% | $2,286 | $206,200 |
| Northumberland County, PA | 1.1% | $1,794 | $162,400 |
| Sullivan County, PA | 1.02% | $2,015 | $197,100 |
| Montour County, PA | 1.01% | $2,507 | $248,100 |
How is a home assessed in Columbia County?
Pennsylvania sets the assessment rules and Columbia County applies them. How Pennsylvania assesses and reappraises homes.
Is there a homestead exemption in Columbia County?
Yes, but the amount varies. Pennsylvania's Homestead and Farmstead Exclusion lowers a home's assessed value for school tax, and each school district sets its own exclusion each year. That is the Pennsylvania rule, and it applies in Columbia County. Pennsylvania's exemptions and relief programs in full.
When are property taxes due in Columbia County?
Property tax is billed separately by your county, municipality and school district, and each sets its own due dates, discount and penalty periods. Pennsylvania has no uniform statewide due date.
That is the Pennsylvania rule. Columbia County issues and collects the bill, so the dates printed on your statement are the ones that bind you.
How to appeal your Columbia County property assessment
You contest the assessed value with the County Board of Assessment Appeals. That is the Pennsylvania rule; Columbia County sets the exact dates and forms. The Pennsylvania appeal process step by step.
Pennsylvania rules from primary state sources, reviewed September 7, 2026; sources on the Pennsylvania page.
Work out your own numbers
-
How much house can I afford?
Your income, debts and down payment against the 28/36 rule lenders actually use, with Columbia County's tax rate to hand.
-
Mortgage calculator
Monthly payment with principal, interest, tax and insurance, plus what an extra payment saves you.
-
Pennsylvania income tax
Brackets, standard deduction and what Pennsylvania actually taxes.
-
Sales tax in Columbia County
The other local tax: combined state and local rate for this county.
Sources
- Median real estate taxes paid and median home value for Columbia County, Pennsylvania: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020-2024), tables B25103, B25077, B25102, B25119 and B25003; the five-year comparison uses the 2015-2019 estimates. Neighboring counties: Census county adjacency file.