The Bucks County, PA property tax rate has three parts: a county millage of 27.45 mills, a municipal millage set by your township or borough, and a school district millage. Added together, combined 2025 rates run from about 175 mills in Bedminster Township to over 343 mills in Morrisville Borough.1Bucks County Board of Assessment. 2025 Millage Rates There is no single county-wide rate for what you’ll actually pay; your total depends entirely on which municipality and school district you live in.
Why There Are Three Rates, Not One
Every property owner in Bucks County pays three separate taxing bodies: the county, the local township or borough, and the local school district.2Bucks County, PA. Frequently Asked Questions Each one sets its own millage during its own annual budget process, and each sends its own bill. County and municipal taxes are billed together in early March. School district bills follow on a separate cycle that generally begins in July.
The school district piece is almost always the largest. In the 2025 rate table, school millages run from about 140 mills in the Pennridge School District to nearly 269 mills in Morrisville Borough School District, well above both the county and municipal shares.1Bucks County Board of Assessment. 2025 Millage Rates Municipal rates vary just as widely, from roughly 7.5 mills in Bedminster Township to 47 mills in Morrisville Borough. Two neighbors on opposite sides of a school district line can face very different bills on identically valued homes.
The County Portion: 27.45 Mills
The county-wide portion is the same for every property. It totals 27.45 mills and breaks down this way:1Bucks County Board of Assessment. 2025 Millage Rates
- County General: 22.042 mills
- Community College: 1.058 mills
- Debt Service and Lease Payments: 3.470 mills
- Parks and Recreation: 0.880 mills
Everything on top of that 27.45 mills depends on where in the county you live.
Combined Millage by Municipality
A few examples from the 2025/2026 rate table show the range. These are total combined millages — county, municipal, and school — and are what you’d use to estimate your bill:
- Bedminster Township (Pennridge SD): 175.14 mills
- Bensalem Township (Bensalem SD): 231.78 mills
- Bristol Township (Bristol Twp SD): 279.17 mills
- Morrisville Borough (Morrisville SD): 343.29 mills
The Bucks County Board of Assessment publishes a complete annual list covering every municipality and school district combination.3Bucks County, PA. Board of Assessment Appeals Pull the current year’s sheet before running any calculations, because municipal and school rates can change when new budgets are adopted.
Turning Mills Into Dollars
A mill equals one dollar of tax for every $1,000 of assessed value. To estimate your annual bill, multiply the assessed value by the total combined millage and divide by 1,000. A home assessed at $25,000 in a jurisdiction with 230 total mills would owe $5,750 for the year.
The assessed value will look surprisingly low next to what the home would actually sell for, and that is deliberate. Bucks County uses 1972 as its base year, so every property is valued according to market conditions from more than 50 years ago.4PhillyBurbs. Some Bucks County Homeowners May Pay Too Much Property Tax A home worth $450,000 today might carry an assessed value of only $20,000 to $30,000. The millage rates are set high enough against those low assessed values to raise the revenue each taxing body needs.
To translate a current market value into base-year terms, Pennsylvania uses the Common Level Ratio, calculated annually by the State Tax Equalization Board. For documents accepted between July 1, 2025 and June 30, 2026, Bucks County’s Common Level Ratio is 17.06%.5PA Department of Revenue. 2024 Common Level Ratio Real Estate Valuation A $400,000 home works out to a base-year equivalent of about $68,240 ($400,000 × 0.1706), which is the number an assessment appeal would compare against.
One wrinkle for new homeowners: if you buy a property or complete a major renovation, Bucks County issues quarterly interim bills reflecting the changed assessment, separate from the two regular annual bills.2Bucks County, PA. Frequently Asked Questions Interim bills typically are not paid out of a mortgage escrow account and arrive directly from the taxing authority.
When the Bill Is Due
Combined county and municipal bills are mailed on March 1. The payment schedule rewards early payment and penalizes late payment:6Middletown Township. Tax Collector
- Pay by April 30: 2% discount
- Pay by June 30: face amount, no discount or penalty
- After July 1: 10% penalty added to the unpaid balance
- After December 31: a lien is placed on the property and the balance goes to the Bucks County Tax Claim Bureau
School district bills follow their own schedule, usually mailed in July with their own discount and penalty windows that vary by district. On a $5,000 bill, catching the 2% early-payment discount saves $100.
Ways to Reduce What You Owe
Homestead Exclusion
If the property is your primary residence, the Homestead Exclusion lowers your assessed value before the school district calculates its portion of your tax. It applies only to the school share, not the county or municipal shares.7Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development. Property Tax Relief Through Homestead Exclusion The dollar savings depend on how much each school district funds the program; many homeowners save a few hundred dollars a year.
You can still qualify if part of the dwelling is used for something other than residence, as long as a portion is your primary home. Applications go to the Bucks County Board of Assessment and must be filed by March 1 for the tax year that begins the following July 1.3Bucks County, PA. Board of Assessment Appeals It is a one-time filing unless ownership changes or you move out.
Property Tax/Rent Rebate
Pennsylvania’s rebate program sends cash back to eligible homeowners. You qualify if you are 65 or older, a widow or widower 50 or older, or a person with a disability 18 or older, with household income of $48,110 or less.8PA Department of Revenue. Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program Rebate amounts tier with income:
- $0–$8,550 income: up to $1,000
- $8,551–$16,040: up to $770
- $16,041–$19,240: up to $460
- $19,241–$48,110: up to $380
Homeowners with income at or below $32,070 whose property taxes exceed 15% of total income may also receive a supplemental rebate of $190 to $500 on top of the standard amount.8PA Department of Revenue. Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program The income limits were expanded under Act 7 of 2023, so a past rejection is worth revisiting. Applications are filed annually through the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue.
Assessment Appeal
If your assessed value looks too high relative to a 1972-equivalent valuation of your property, you can file an appeal with the Bucks County Board of Assessment Appeals. The deadline for 2026 annual appeals is August 3, 2026, and any approved change takes effect for the 2027 tax year.3Bucks County, PA. Board of Assessment Appeals The application requires a filing fee and supporting documentation.
The strongest appeals come with a recent appraisal, comparable sale prices from nearby homes, or proof that the property record card contains errors like inflated square footage or improvements that no longer exist. Using the 17.06% Common Level Ratio, convert your home’s current market value to its base-year equivalent and compare that figure to your current assessed value. If your assessment is noticeably higher, you have grounds for an appeal.