The Bucks County, PA property tax rate has three parts stacked on every property: a county millage of 27.45 mills in 2025, plus a municipal millage set by your township or borough, plus a school district millage. Combined rates in the 2025 millage table run from about 175 mills in Bedminster Township to 343.29 mills in Morrisville Borough.1Bucks County Board of Assessment. 2025 Millage Rates There is no single county-wide number that tells you what you owe; the only accurate rate is the combined millage for your specific municipality and school district.
Why There Are Three Rates, Not One
Every Bucks County homeowner pays three separate taxing bodies: the County of Bucks, their township or borough, and their school district.2Bucks County, PA. Frequently Asked Questions Each one sets its own millage during its own budget process, and each sends its own bill on its own schedule. County and municipal taxes are billed together in early March. School district bills follow later, typically starting in July.
The school district piece is almost always the largest. In the 2025 table, school millage alone ranges from roughly 140 mills in Pennridge to nearly 269 mills in Morrisville Borough School District.1Bucks County Board of Assessment. 2025 Millage Rates Municipal rates swing widely too, from around 7.5 mills in Bedminster to 47 mills in Morrisville Borough. Two homes with the same assessed value on opposite sides of a school district line can carry very different tax bills.
The County Millage and What It Includes
The 27.45 mills that every Bucks County property pays breaks into four line items:
- County General: 22.042 mills
- Community College: 1.058 mills
- Debt Service and Lease Payments: 3.470 mills
- Parks and Recreation: 0.880 mills
That county figure applies uniformly. Everything else depends on where you live.
Sample Combined Rates for 2025
A few examples from the 2025/2026 rate sheet give a sense of the range across the county:
- Bedminster Township (Pennridge SD): 175.14 total mills
- Bensalem Township (Bensalem SD): 231.78 total mills
- Bristol Township (Bristol Township SD): 279.17 total mills
- Morrisville Borough (Morrisville SD): 343.29 total mills
The Bucks County Board of Assessment publishes the full list of every municipality and school district combination each year.3Bucks County, PA. Board of Assessment Appeals Rates can shift when a taxing body adopts a new budget, so pull the current sheet before running any estimate.
Turning Mills Into Dollars
A mill is one dollar of tax per $1,000 of assessed value. Multiply your assessed value by the combined millage, then divide by 1,000. A home assessed at $25,000 in a jurisdiction with 230 combined mills owes $5,750 for the year.
Your assessed value will look nothing like your market value, and that is intentional. Bucks County uses 1972 as its base year for assessments, which means every property is valued as of that era’s market.4PhillyBurbs. Some Bucks County Homeowners May Pay Too Much Property Tax A home that would sell today for $450,000 might carry an assessed value of $20,000 to $30,000. The millage rates are set high enough against those low numbers to fund each taxing body.
The 1972 Base Year and the Common Level Ratio
Because Bucks County has not conducted a countywide reassessment since 1972, current assessed values reflect market conditions from more than 50 years ago. To connect those old numbers to present-day sales, Pennsylvania publishes an annual Common Level Ratio for each county. For documents accepted between July 1, 2025 and June 30, 2026, Bucks County’s ratio is 17.06%.5PA Department of Revenue. 2024 Common Level Ratio Real Estate Valuation It matters most during appeals, where it converts current market value into a base-year equivalent for comparison.
If you buy a home or complete major renovations, expect an interim assessment. The county sends quarterly interim bills when assessed values change, and these are separate from the two regular annual bills.2Bucks County, PA. Frequently Asked Questions Interim bills often are not paid through mortgage escrow, so they arrive directly and can surprise new owners.
When the Bill Is Due
Combined county and municipal bills go out March 1. The payment schedule is tiered:
- Paid by April 30: 2% discount off the total
- Paid by June 30: face amount, no discount and no penalty
- Paid after July 1: 10% penalty added to the unpaid balance
- Unpaid after December 31: a lien is placed on the property, and the balance is turned over to the Bucks County Tax Claim Bureau
School district bills run on their own schedule, generally mailed in July with their own discount and penalty windows. Dates vary by district, so confirm with your local tax collector. On a $5,000 bill, catching the 2% discount saves $100.
Homestead Exclusion for Primary Residences
If a property is your primary residence, the Homestead Exclusion lowers the assessed value used to calculate your school tax. It applies only to the school portion of your bill, not the county or municipal portions.7Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development. Property Tax Relief Through Homestead Exclusion Actual savings depend on how much each school district funds the program, but many homeowners save a few hundred dollars a year.
You do not have to use the entire property as a home; a portion serving as your primary residence is enough. Applications go to the Bucks County Board of Assessment and are due by March 1 for the tax year starting the following July 1.3Bucks County, PA. Board of Assessment Appeals It is a one-time filing unless ownership changes or you move.
Property Tax/Rent Rebate for Older and Disabled Homeowners
Pennsylvania’s Property Tax/Rent Rebate program pays cash back to eligible homeowners. You qualify if you are 65 or older, a widow or widower age 50 or older, or a person with a disability age 18 or older, with household income of $48,110 or less.8PA Department of Revenue. Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program The rebate scales with income:
- $0 to $8,550: up to $1,000
- $8,551 to $16,040: up to $770
- $16,041 to $19,240: up to $460
- $19,241 to $48,110: up to $380
Homeowners with income at or below $32,070 whose property taxes exceed 15% of income can receive a supplemental rebate of $190 to $500 on top of the standard amount.8PA Department of Revenue. Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program Act 7 of 2023 expanded these income limits, so applicants turned down under earlier thresholds may now qualify. Applications are filed annually through the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue.
Appealing Your Assessment
If you believe your assessed value is too high, you can file an appeal with the Bucks County Board of Assessment Appeals. The deadline for 2026 annual appeals is August 3, 2026, and approved changes take effect for the 2027 tax year.3Bucks County, PA. Board of Assessment Appeals A filing fee and supporting documentation are required.
Strong appeals rest on concrete evidence: a recent appraisal, comparable sales in your neighborhood, or errors on the property record card such as inflated square footage. The Common Level Ratio of 17.06% is used to translate current market value into the base-year figure. A home that recently sold for $400,000 corresponds to a base-year value of roughly $68,240 (400,000 × 0.1706). If the current assessed value is well above that number, the case is worth pursuing.
What Happens If Taxes Go Unpaid
Any balance unpaid after December 31 moves to the Tax Claim Bureau, and a lien attaches to the property. Once taxes are two or more years delinquent, the property becomes eligible for the county’s annual upset sale, held each September through GovDeals.9Bucks County, PA. Upset and Judicial Sales Paying the full delinquent balance plus interest and costs before the sale date stops the process.