Northampton County property tax is levied at 10.8 mills for 2026, which works out to $10.80 for every $1,000 of your property’s assessed value. A home assessed at $150,000 owes $1,620 in county tax before any credits or exclusions. That county levy is only one piece of your total property tax bill; your municipality and school district each bill separately at their own rates.1Northampton County, PA. County Executive Unveils Balanced 2026 Budget for Northampton County
How Your Bill Is Calculated
To estimate your county tax, multiply your assessed value by 0.0108. The county sets the millage each year during the budget process, so the number can shift, though it has held steady at 10.8 mills into 2026.
The assessed value comes from the county Assessment Division, which maintains a value for every parcel under the Pennsylvania General County Assessment Law. The county may rely on current market value or on a base-year market value as its reference point, and a recent sale price is considered but doesn’t automatically control the figure.2Pennsylvania General Assembly. Pennsylvania Code 72 P.S. 5020-402 – Valuation of Property
If you build an addition, finish a basement, or close on new construction, expect an interim reassessment. The county reassesses to reflect the improvement, typically retroactive to the month after the occupancy permit was issued, and a supplemental bill will arrive a few months later. Mortgage escrow accounts usually don’t cover these interim bills, so plan to pay out of pocket.
When to Pay and What It Costs to Be Late
Pennsylvania’s Local Tax Collection Law builds both a carrot and a stick into the payment schedule. Pay within two months of the tax notice date and you get at least a 2% discount. Pay after that but before four months have passed and you owe the face amount. Miss the four-month mark and a penalty of up to 10% is added to your balance.3Pennsylvania General Assembly. Local Tax Collection Law, Act of May 25, 1945, No. 394 – Section 10
You can mail a check to your municipal tax collector or pay online through the county portal. The portal takes credit cards with a 3.5% processing fee and electronic checks with a $4 fee on amounts under $29,999, and it handles current-year taxes only. For past-due accounts, call the Revenue Division at (610) 829-6186.4Northampton County, PA. Pay My Bill
You’ll need your Uniform Parcel Identifier, listed on your bill as the UPI or Parcel ID Number. Entering it correctly is what matches your payment to the right account. Once the payment posts, you can request a stamped receipt, which is useful for refinancing or state rebate applications.
Appealing an Assessment You Think Is Too High
If your assessed value looks out of step with what your property is actually worth, you can file an appeal with the county Board of Assessment Appeals. The deadline is 40 days from the date of the assessment notice.5Pennsylvania General Assembly. Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes Title 53 Section 8844 – Appeals Forms are on the Northampton County Assessment Office website.6Northampton County, PA. Forms Needed to Appeal Your Assessment
You don’t need a lawyer. You can represent yourself or bring someone with relevant knowledge, provided any representative has written authorization. The burden of proof is on you for everything except fraud.7Pennsylvania Department of Revenue. Board of Appeals Bring evidence: recent comparable sales nearby, an independent appraisal, or documentation of conditions the assessor may have missed. Two pieces of evidence beat one.
If the Board rules against you, the next step is the Court of Common Pleas.
What Happens If You Don’t Pay
Any county real estate tax still unpaid at the close of business on January 31 of the following year is turned over to the Tax Claim Bureau.8Northampton County, PA. Real Estate Tax Payment Information The Bureau files a claim against your property, sends formal notice, and begins adding interest and costs to the original debt.
If the delinquency continues, the county can sell your property. Pennsylvania’s Real Estate Tax Sale Law provides three sale types that escalate in severity:
- Upset sale. The Bureau sets a minimum “upset price” covering all outstanding tax liens, municipal claims, and costs. If no bidder meets it, the property moves on.9Pennsylvania General Assembly. Real Estate Tax Sale Law, Act of 1947, No. 542 – Sections 601 and 605
- Judicial sale. The Bureau petitions the Court of Common Pleas to sell the property free and clear of all liens, mortgages, and other encumbrances. The buyer receives absolute title.10Pennsylvania General Assembly. Real Estate Tax Sale Law, Act of 1947, No. 542 – Sections 610 and 612
- Private sale. If the property still hasn’t sold, the Bureau can negotiate a private sale at any price, either on its own or at a taxing district’s direction.11Pennsylvania General Assembly. Real Estate Tax Sale Law, Act of 1947, No. 542 – Section 613
If you live in a property sold at tax sale, you have nine months from the sale date to redeem it by paying the full purchase price plus 10% and associated costs. Filing a Chapter 13 bankruptcy can extend that window, letting you pay the delinquent taxes through a plan that can run up to five years. This redemption right does not apply to mortgage foreclosure sales.
Programs That Can Lower What You Owe
A few relief programs can reduce the tax burden on your property, but they apply to different pieces of your overall bill and each has its own rules.
Property Tax/Rent Rebate
Pennsylvania’s Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program sends cash rebates to eligible homeowners and renters. You qualify if you are 65 or older, a widow or widower age 50 or older, or 18 or older with a permanent disability, and your household income is $48,110 or less a year.12Pennsylvania Department of Revenue. Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program Half of your Social Security benefits is excluded when figuring that income, which puts many applicants under the cap who assumed they wouldn’t qualify.13Pennsylvania Department of Revenue. How Do I Know If I Qualify for the Property Tax/Rent Rebate
Homestead and Farmstead Exclusion
The Taxpayer Relief Act (Act 1 of 2006) created a Homestead and Farmstead Exclusion that reduces assessed value for tax purposes. One point many homeowners miss: this exclusion applies to school district taxes, not to the county tax. The property must be your primary residence; most owner-occupied homes and working farms qualify.14PA Department of Community and Economic Development. Property Tax Relief Through Homestead Exclusion Applications are due by March 1 before the tax year starting July 1 or January 1.
Clean and Green (Act 319)
Owners of agricultural land, forest land, or open-space reserve land may qualify for preferential assessment under Clean and Green. The land generally must be at least ten acres, though smaller agricultural parcels qualify if they produce at least $2,000 a year in farm income.15Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Clean and Green Enrollment assesses the land at its use value rather than its development potential, which can cut taxes sharply. If you later change the use or sell for development, you’ll owe rollback taxes covering up to seven years of the savings.
A Note on the Hotel Tax
Northampton County also imposes a 4% tax on short-term lodging that hotels, motels, bed-and-breakfasts, and short-term rental platforms like Airbnb must collect from guests and remit to the county.16Pennsylvania General Assembly. Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes Title 16 Section 17505 – Hotel Room Rental Tax in Certain Third Class Counties It’s separate from real estate tax and doesn’t affect what a homeowner owes on the property itself.