A property tax rate in Pennsylvania is quoted in mills. One mill is one dollar of tax for every $1,000 of assessed value, so a home assessed at $100,000 in a town with a total of 25 mills pays $2,500 a year. Every property pays three separate rates, one each to the county, the municipality and the school district, and the school district is usually the largest by far.
Below, the municipalities of Luzerne and Lackawanna Counties are ranked by that total for 2026. In Luzerne County the spread runs from 18.94 mills in Ross Township to 33.52 in Plymouth Borough. On a $150,000 assessment that is a difference of about $2,186 a year.
Compare Towns Within a County, Not Across the Line
A mill rate only means something next to the assessment it is multiplied by, and the two counties assess on very different footing. Luzerne County's assessments date to its 2009 countywide reassessment. The state's most recent study of 922 sales in the county put the median assessment at 87.4% of the sale price. Lackawanna County reassessed every property effective January 1, 2026, for the first time since 1968, and cut its county rate from 89.98 mills to 5.79 so the change would not raise the county's revenue.
So a lower rate in Lackawanna does not by itself mean a lower bill than in Luzerne. The rank within each county is a fair comparison, because every property in a county is assessed on the same basis. To compare a specific house across the line, multiply its actual assessment by the rate. Assessments are public records.
Luzerne County, Highest to Lowest
The county rate is 6.4494 mills everywhere. Municipal rates are the county Assessor's 2026 millage sheet, and school rates are the 2026-27 rates the districts adopted in June 2026 and bill from July 1.
| Rank | Municipality | School District | Total Mills | Tax on $100,000 Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Plymouth Borough | Wyoming Valley West | 33.5197 | $3,351.97 |
| 2 | West Pittston Borough | Wyoming Area | 33.3913 | $3,339.13 |
| 3 | Ashley Borough | Hanover Area | 33.0737 | $3,307.37 |
| 4 | Wyoming Borough | Wyoming Area | 32.8868 | $3,288.68 |
| 5 | Hazleton City | Hazleton Area | 32.0573 | $3,205.73 |
| 6 | Forty Fort Borough | Wyoming Valley West | 31.8897 | $3,188.97 |
| 7 | West Wyoming Borough | Wyoming Area | 31.5963 | $3,159.63 |
| 8 | Exeter Borough | Wyoming Area | 31.4528 | $3,145.28 |
| 9 | Edwardsville Borough | Wyoming Valley West | 31.2497 | $3,124.97 |
| 10 | Sugar Notch Borough | Hanover Area | 31.2237 | $3,122.37 |
| 11 | Pittston City | Pittston Area | 31.0907 | $3,109.07 |
| 12 | Exeter Township | Wyoming Area | 30.9073 | $3,090.73 |
| 13 | Hanover Township | Hanover Area | 30.7237 | $3,072.37 |
| 14 | Larksville Borough | Wyoming Valley West | 30.2997 | $3,029.97 |
| 15 | Luzerne Borough | Wyoming Valley West | 29.4309 | $2,943.09 |
| 16 | Wilkes-Barre Township | Wilkes-Barre Area | 29.3826 | $2,938.26 |
| 17 | Warrior Run Borough | Hanover Area | 29.0237 | $2,902.37 |
| 18 | West Hazleton Borough | Hazleton Area | 28.2973 | $2,829.73 |
| 19 | White Haven Borough | Crestwood | 27.9083 | $2,790.83 |
| 20 | Plains Township | Wilkes-Barre Area | 27.8826 | $2,788.26 |
| 21 | Swoyersville Borough | Wyoming Valley West | 27.8497 | $2,784.97 |
| 22 | Courtdale Borough | Wyoming Valley West | 27.7997 | $2,779.97 |
| 23 | Nanticoke City | Greater Nanticoke Area | 27.2335 | $2,723.35 |
| 24 | Kingston Borough | Wyoming Valley West | 26.8497 | $2,684.97 |
| 25 | Laflin Borough | Wilkes-Barre Area | 26.7302 | $2,673.02 |
| 26 | Laurel Run Borough | Wilkes-Barre Area | 26.3509 | $2,635.09 |
| 27 | Freeland Borough | Hazleton Area | 26.1873 | $2,618.73 |
| 28 | Avoca Borough | Pittston Area | 26.0907 | $2,609.07 |
| 29 | Pringle Borough | Wyoming Valley West | 26.0497 | $2,604.97 |
| 30 | Newport Township | Greater Nanticoke Area | 26.0077 | $2,600.77 |
| 31 | Duryea Borough | Pittston Area | 25.6907 | $2,569.07 |
| 32 | Jenkins Township | Pittston Area | 25.5907 | $2,559.07 |
| 33 | Bear Creek Township | Wilkes-Barre Area | 25.4341 | $2,543.41 |
| 34 | Bear Creek Village Borough | Wilkes-Barre Area | 25.4316 | $2,543.16 |
| 35 | Dallas Borough | Dallas | 25.4023 | $2,540.23 |
| 36 | Hughestown Borough | Pittston Area | 25.3907 | $2,539.07 |
| 37 | Dallas Township | Dallas | 25.1523 | $2,515.23 |
| 38 | Dupont Borough | Pittston Area | 25.1157 | $2,511.57 |
| 39 | Pittston Township | Pittston Area | 24.8907 | $2,489.07 |
| 40 | Buck Township | Wilkes-Barre Area | 24.8826 | $2,488.26 |
| 41 | Conyngham Borough | Hazleton Area | 24.5473 | $2,454.73 |
| 42 | Penn Lake Park Borough | Crestwood | 24.2583 | $2,425.83 |
| 43 | Sugarloaf Township | Hazleton Area | 24.0973 | $2,409.73 |
| 44 | Yatesville Borough | Pittston Area | 23.6027 | $2,360.27 |
| 45 | Kingston Township | Dallas | 23.4023 | $2,340.23 |
| 46 | Fairmount Township | Northwest Area | 23.3385 | $2,333.85 |
| 46 | Hunlock Township | Northwest Area | 23.3385 | $2,333.85 |
| 48 | Shickshinny Borough | Northwest Area | 23.0614 | $2,306.14 |
| 49 | Jackson Township | Lake-Lehman | 22.5432 | $2,254.32 |
| 50 | Franklin Township | Dallas | 22.5373 | $2,253.73 |
| 51 | Huntington Township | Northwest Area | 22.5085 | $2,250.85 |
| 52 | Lehman Township | Lake-Lehman | 22.5032 | $2,250.32 |
| 53 | Union Township | Northwest Area | 22.3285 | $2,232.85 |
| 54 | New Columbus Borough | Northwest Area | 22.2985 | $2,229.85 |
| 55 | Salem Township | Berwick Area | 22.2094 | $2,220.94 |
| 56 | Nescopeck Borough | Berwick Area | 22.1594 | $2,215.94 |
| 57 | Butler Township | Hazleton Area | 22.0153 | $2,201.53 |
| 58 | Foster Township | Hazleton Area | 21.9173 | $2,191.73 |
| 59 | Hazle Township | Hazleton Area | 21.6673 | $2,166.73 |
| 60 | Black Creek Township | Hazleton Area | 21.6373 | $2,163.73 |
| 61 | Fairview Township | Crestwood | 21.5083 | $2,150.83 |
| 62 | Jeddo Borough | Hazleton Area | 21.2533 | $2,125.33 |
| 63 | Conyngham Township | Greater Nanticoke Area | 21.1347 | $2,113.47 |
| 64 | Wright Township | Crestwood | 20.9583 | $2,095.83 |
| 65 | Rice Township | Crestwood | 20.7383 | $2,073.83 |
| 66 | Plymouth Township | Greater Nanticoke Area | 20.6437 | $2,064.37 |
| 67 | Nescopeck Township | Berwick Area | 20.5094 | $2,050.94 |
| 68 | Dennison Township | Crestwood | 20.4083 | $2,040.83 |
| 68 | Dorrance Township | Crestwood | 20.4083 | $2,040.83 |
| 70 | Nuangola Borough | Crestwood | 20.2133 | $2,021.33 |
| 71 | Slocum Township | Crestwood | 19.6583 | $1,965.83 |
| 72 | Harveys Lake Borough | Lake-Lehman | 19.5484 | $1,954.84 |
| 73 | Hollenback Township | Berwick Area | 19.5394 | $1,953.94 |
| 74 | Lake Township | Lake-Lehman | 19.0032 | $1,900.32 |
| 75 | Ross Township | Lake-Lehman | 18.9432 | $1,894.32 |
Wilkes-Barre City is not in the ranking. The city issues its own bill against its own assessment values, so its municipal rate of 141.33 mills is not applied to the county assessment and cannot be compared with the other towns' rates. A Wilkes-Barre property pays the county and Wilkes-Barre Area School District rates, 24.8826 mills together, on the county assessment, and the city tax on the city's assessment.
The ten municipalities in the Hazleton Area School District are shown at 14.4679 school mills. The district adopted 14.28 mills for 2026-27. The other 0.1879 is a library tax. The county's 2026 millage sheet footnotes it as not part of the homestead calculation, and county tax claim records for the 2023-24 through 2025-26 school years show it billed with the school tax in the district's municipalities. If you are buying in the district, the tax bill will confirm it.
Lackawanna County, Highest to Lowest
The county rate is 5.79 mills everywhere. All rates are from the county Assessment Office's 2026 millage sheet, published after the reassessment.
| Rank | Municipality | School District | Total Mills | Tax on $100,000 Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spring Brook Township | North Pocono | 27.0486 | $2,704.86 |
| 2 | Scranton City | Scranton | 21.6995 | $2,169.95 |
| 3 | Moscow Borough | North Pocono | 20.2251 | $2,022.51 |
| 4 | Thornhurst Township | North Pocono | 19.5101 | $1,951.01 |
| 5 | Dalton Borough | Lackawanna Trail | 19.2100 | $1,921.00 |
| 6 | Covington Township | North Pocono | 19.1161 | $1,911.61 |
| 7 | Elmhurst Township | North Pocono | 19.1101 | $1,911.01 |
| 8 | Roaring Brook Township | North Pocono | 19.1081 | $1,910.81 |
| 9 | Jefferson Township | North Pocono | 19.1051 | $1,910.51 |
| 10 | Dunmore Borough | Dunmore | 19.0410 | $1,904.10 |
| 11 | Madison Township | North Pocono | 18.8211 | $1,882.11 |
| 12 | Clifton Township | North Pocono | 18.6401 | $1,864.01 |
| 13 | Dickson City Borough | Mid Valley | 18.4188 | $1,841.88 |
| 14 | Clarks Summit Borough | Abington Heights | 17.9839 | $1,798.39 |
| 15 | Archbald Borough | Valley View | 17.5720 | $1,757.20 |
| 16 | Jessup Borough | Valley View | 17.3000 | $1,730.00 |
| 17 | La Plume Township | Lackawanna Trail | 17.2090 | $1,720.90 |
| 18 | Benton Township | Lackawanna Trail | 17.1900 | $1,719.00 |
| 19 | Moosic Borough | Riverside | 17.1241 | $1,712.41 |
| 20 | West Abington Township | Lackawanna Trail | 17.0770 | $1,707.70 |
| 21 | Old Forge Borough | Old Forge | 17.0200 | $1,702.00 |
| 22 | South Abington Township | Abington Heights | 16.8239 | $1,682.39 |
| 23 | Clarks Green Borough | Abington Heights | 16.8029 | $1,680.29 |
| 24 | Mayfield Borough | Lakeland | 16.7396 | $1,673.96 |
| 25 | Olyphant Borough | Mid Valley | 16.5768 | $1,657.68 |
| 26 | Waverly Township | Abington Heights | 16.5029 | $1,650.29 |
| 27 | Taylor Borough | Riverside | 16.4241 | $1,642.41 |
| 28 | Newton Township | Abington Heights | 16.3759 | $1,637.59 |
| 29 | North Abington Township | Abington Heights | 16.3289 | $1,632.89 |
| 30 | Jermyn Borough | Lakeland | 16.2696 | $1,626.96 |
| 31 | Ransom Township | Abington Heights | 16.2209 | $1,622.09 |
| 32 | Throop Borough | Mid Valley | 16.1938 | $1,619.38 |
| 33 | Glenburn Township | Abington Heights | 16.1129 | $1,611.29 |
| 34 | Greenfield Township | Lakeland | 15.7896 | $1,578.96 |
| 35 | Carbondale City | Carbondale Area | 15.7633 | $1,576.33 |
| 36 | Scott Township | Lakeland | 15.5646 | $1,556.46 |
| 37 | Blakely Borough | Valley View | 15.4900 | $1,549.00 |
| 38 | Carbondale Township | Lakeland | 15.4556 | $1,545.56 |
| 39 | Vandling Borough | Forest City Regional | 14.9800 | $1,498.00 |
| 40 | Fell Township | Carbondale Area | 14.3633 | $1,436.33 |
Scranton levied separate rates on land and on buildings from 1913 until 2025. For 2026 the city moved to a single rate. As billed by the Scranton Single Tax Office and listed on the county's sheet, the city's total is 6.35095 mills, and the Scranton School District, which taxes on the calendar year, levies 9.5585 mills for 2026.
Several Lackawanna municipalities also bill fees that the county sheet describes as parcel specific, which the table does not include. The sheet lists refuse fees of $300 in Scranton, $375 in Archbald, $325 in Carbondale Township, $500 in Jermyn, $180 in Jessup, $322 in Mayfield, $190 in Moosic and $505 in Vandling, and $400 for refuse plus $100 for sewage in Fell Township. Waverly Township adds a hydrant tax of 0.04 mills and a street light charge of $0.30 per foot of frontage.
Your Bill Will Probably Be Lower Than the Table
If the home is your primary residence, apply for the homestead exclusion. It reduces the assessed value your school district taxes, funded by state gaming revenue, and the amount varies by district. Applications are due to the county assessor by March 1 for the following tax year. In Luzerne County enrollment runs from December 15 through March 1, there is no fee, and approved owners are not asked to reapply more than once every three years. Rental and business property does not qualify.
County and municipal bills also carry a discount for early payment. Luzerne County's 2026 county and municipal bills, issued February 20, were discounted through April 21.
How to Find the Tax on a Specific House
- Look up the property's assessed value on the county assessment site, not the listing price or an online estimate.
- Multiply by the total mills for its municipality and divide by 1,000.
- Subtract the homestead exclusion if the buyer will live there, using the school district's figure.
- Add any per-parcel fees the municipality bills separately.
- Our property tax pages do this arithmetic for each municipality, split into the county, municipal and school lines.
Methodology and Sources
Every rate here was checked on September 24, 2026. Every municipal rate matched the county millage sheets. Every school rate matched the Pennsylvania Department of Education's 2026-27 real estate tax rate file, with two expected exceptions. The Department lists Hazleton Area at the adopted 14.28, without the library tax, and has no 2026-27 figure for the Scranton School District, which taxes on the calendar year and whose 2026 rate comes from the Scranton Single Tax Office. Totals are the sum of the three published rates, and the tax on $100,000 is that total times 100. Towns with equal totals share a rank.
- Luzerne County Assessor, 2026 Millages (with 2025 school rates)
- Lackawanna County Assessment Office, 2026 Lackawanna County Millage, and the county Assessment Office page on the reassessment
- Pennsylvania Department of Education, Real Estate Tax Rates 2026-2027
- Adopted 2026-27 budgets and rates for each Luzerne County school district, as reported by the Times Leader in June 2026, and the Wyoming Valley West School District final 2026-27 budget
- City of Scranton, Final 2026 Budget, and the Scranton Single Tax Office 2026 rates
- Pennsylvania State Tax Equalization Board, 2025 common level ratios (certified May 20, 2026)
- Luzerne County Homestead and Farmstead Exclusion FAQ, and County Tax Collection page
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