Bucks County Property Taxes in 2026: Newtown vs. Doylestown vs. New Hope (with Example Bills)

The short answer: Your Bucks County property tax bill adds up three rates: county, municipality, and school district. Each rate is applied to your home's assessed value, which is based on 1972-era values, not on today's price. For 2026 the county rate is 29.65 mills, up 8%. School rates rose 3.5% in Council Rock, 5.7% in Central Bucks, and about 6.2% in New Hope-Solebury. On the same assessed value, New Hope Borough has the lowest total rate of the six municipalities compared here, and Doylestown Township has the highest.

I'm Dennis Martin, and I help buyers and sellers in Newtown, Doylestown, New Hope, and surrounding areas. Taxes come up in almost every conversation about a $1M+ home here, so this post puts the official numbers in one place.

Not tax advice. This is general information from official sources as of October 2026. Confirm your actual bill, exclusions, and deadlines with your local tax collector and the Bucks County Board of Assessment (215-348-6219).

How Bucks County property taxes work: mills × assessed value

A mill is $1 of tax for every $1,000 of assessed value. Your bill is:

assessed value ÷ 1,000 × total mills

That total combines three rates:

1. County: 29.65 mills for 2026, the same everywhere in Bucks.
2. Municipality: set by your borough or township.
3. School district: set by the school board for the 2026–27 school year. It's by far the biggest piece.

All three come from the county's 2026 Millage Rates sheet (updated July 1, 2026).

Why assessed value isn't your home's price: Bucks County's last countywide reassessment was in 1972, so assessments still reflect that base year (Philadelphia Inquirer; BUCKSCO.Today, citing the Courier Times). As a result, assessments here are a small fraction of market value. Look up your parcel's assessment through the county's Board of Assessment rather than estimating it from a list price.

The common level ratio (what the state uses)

The state publishes a common level ratio (CLR) factor for each county. For deeds accepted July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027, Bucks County's factor is 17.86. That factor is the reciprocal of the ratio, so countywide, assessments average roughly 5.6% of market value (Common Level Ratio factors, via Bucks County; Bucks County Transfer Tax). The state uses these factors for realty transfer tax. The ratio is also the benchmark people use when judging whether an assessment is out of line (Inquirer primer).

The CLR is a county average. Individual homes can sit well above or below it, so don't use it to guess one property's assessment or bill.

2026 tax rates: Newtown vs. Doylestown vs. New Hope

Source: Bucks County 2026 Millage Rates, July 1, 2026.

A "Doylestown," "Newtown," or "New Hope" mailing address can sit in a different municipality, and sometimes a different school district. Confirm the parcel's municipality before you run numbers.

Example bills at $60,000, $100,000, and $150,000 assessed

These are illustrative assessed values, not market prices, and they're not tied to any real property. They're gross annual amounts, before any homestead exclusion, early-payment discount, or penalty.

Worked example: $100,000 assessed in Doylestown Borough

• County: 100,000 ÷ 1,000 × 29.65 = $2,965
• Borough: 100,000 ÷ 1,000 × 21.84 = $2,184
• Central Bucks SD: 100,000 ÷ 1,000 × 154.90 = $15,490
• Total: $20,639. With Central Bucks' 2026–27 homestead exclusion (see below), the school portion drops by $334.27, to about $15,156, for a total of about $20,304.

When bills arrive: In Doylestown Borough, county and municipal bills go out March 1, with a 2% discount if paid by April 30. School bills go out July 1, with a 2% discount by August 31 and a 10% penalty starting November 1 (Doylestown Borough tax information). Doylestown Township publishes the same schedule (Doylestown Township Tax Collector). Check your own tax collector's dates.

When I'm working with buyers, I pull the property's actual tax bill through the MLS before they write an offer, so they're working from real numbers instead of estimates.

What changed for 2026: the county and school increases

• County: +8%. The commissioners approved an 8% county property tax increase for 2026 to close a $16.4 million deficit. County officials estimated about $72 a year for a home assessed at the county average (Philadelphia Inquirer). The county rate went from 27.45 to 29.65 mills (Doylestown Township millage history).
• Central Bucks: +5.7%. The board adopted a roughly $460.4 million 2026–27 budget with a 5.7% tax increase, the district's sixth straight annual increase. It went above the 3.5% Act 1 index (Bucks County Herald). The county sheets confirm the move from 146.55 to 154.90 mills (Feb. 2026 sheet; July 2026 sheet). On a $40,000 assessment, that's about $334 more in school tax.
• Council Rock: +3.5%. The board adopted a $333 million final budget on June 18 with a 3.5% real estate tax increase, the maximum under its Act 1 index without exceptions (Bucks County Herald; CRSD Act 1 resolution). The rate went from 144.8978 to 149.9692 mills.
• New Hope-Solebury: about +6.2%. The rate went from 120.5104 to 127.97 mills, a 6.19% increase, per the county's February and July 2026 sheets.

The homestead/farmstead exclusion: apply by March 1

If the home is your primary residence, Pennsylvania's homestead exclusion lowers the assessed value your school district taxes. It's funded by state gaming revenue under Act 1 of 2006 (PA Department of Education). A farmstead exclusion can also apply to farm buildings on at least 10 contiguous acres.

• Deadline: March 1. The county's current application covers the tax year starting July 1, 2027 and is due March 1, 2027 (Bucks County Board of Assessment; application instructions).
• Where to file: Bucks County Board of Assessment Appeals, 55 E. Court St., 6th floor, Doylestown.
• New deed? Reapply. Any newly recorded deed, including a refinance, requires a new application within 45 days (Bucks County application).

2026–27 exclusion amounts:

• Central Bucks SD: an assessed-value reduction of 2,158, worth $334.27 (CBSD Board Brief, May 28, 2026).
• Council Rock SD: the 2026–27 school rate is 149.9692 mills (CRSD 2026–27 Final General Fund Budget; county millage sheet). The latest confirmed exclusion is for 2025–26: an assessed-value reduction of $3,143.17 at 144.8978 mills, worth about $455 (CRSD 2025–26 Final General Fund Budget). The $455 is my own calculation, and the state's 2025–26 estimate was also $455 (PA Department of Education). The 2026–27 figure had not been published at the time of writing; check your tax bill or the district business office.
• New Hope-Solebury SD: an assessed-value reduction of $3,196.20, worth $409.02, at 127.97 mills. The board adopted it with the final budget on June 29, 2026 (NHSD 2026–27 Final Budget Packet and resolutions; June 29, 2026 board minutes).

Exclusion amounts are set by each school district and apply only to approved homesteads. Not tax advice; confirm with the tax collector.

PA Property Tax/Rent Rebate: who qualifies

The state's Property Tax/Rent Rebate program pays $380 to $1,000 a year to eligible homeowners and renters. You must be one of the following (PA Department of Revenue):

• 65 or older
• a widow or widower 50 or older
• a person with a disability, 18 or older

Household income must be $48,110 or less, and half of Social Security income is excluded (PA-1000 instructions). You reapply every year. The state says the deadline for rebates on 2025 taxes or rent was extended to December 31 (PA Department of Revenue).

How to appeal your Bucks County assessment

If you believe your assessment is too high relative to market value, you can appeal to the Bucks County Board of Assessment Appeals (Board of Assessment; 2026 Residential Appeal Rules):

• Annual appeal deadline: filed or postmarked by August 3, 2026 for this cycle. Changes take effect for the 2027 tax year. The next cycle's deadline will be on the county's site.
• Fee: $75 per parcel, non-refundable, one form per parcel.
• Evidence: a USPAP-compliant appraisal by a Pennsylvania certified appraiser, or sales of similar properties within the last 18 months. A recent settlement sheet can support your case but can't be the only evidence.
• Hearing: you can request a hearing or a review on the papers. Missing a scheduled hearing counts as abandoning the appeal.
• Taxing bodies (school districts and municipalities) can file appeals too (Board of Assessment).

Not tax advice. Talk with a Pennsylvania real estate attorney or certified appraiser before filing, and confirm deadlines with the Board of Assessment.

FAQ: Bucks County property taxes

How are Bucks County property taxes calculated? Assessed value ÷ 1,000 × total mills (county + municipal + school). For 2026 the county rate is 29.65 mills. Municipal and school rates depend on where the parcel is.

Why is my assessed value so much lower than my home's price? Bucks still uses its 1972 base-year assessments. The state's current factor for Bucks is 17.86, which means assessments average roughly 5.6% of market value countywide. Individual homes vary.

Which has lower taxes: Newtown, Doylestown, or New Hope? On the same assessed value, New Hope Borough has the lowest 2026 total (171.39 mills). Solebury is 183.53, Newtown Township 196.73, Newtown Borough 204.87, Doylestown Borough 206.39, and Doylestown Township 206.65.

When is the Bucks County homestead exclusion deadline? March 1. The current application is for the tax year starting July 1, 2027, so it's due March 1, 2027. A new deed, including a refinance, means reapplying within 45 days.

How much did Bucks County property taxes go up in 2026? The county rate rose 8%. School rates rose 3.5% in Council Rock, 5.7% in Central Bucks, and about 6.2% in New Hope-Solebury for 2026–27.

Can I appeal my assessment? Yes. Annual appeals go to the Board of Assessment Appeals by the posted deadline (August 3 in 2026), with a $75 fee per parcel and market-value evidence.

Keep exploring:

• Compare towns on my Neighborhoods page.
• See what's for sale now in Doylestown, Newtown, New Hope, and nearby.
• Thinking of selling? Start with a home valuation.
• Have a question about a specific property's taxes? Contact me.

Not tax advice; confirm with the tax collector.

Featured photo: Bucks County Courthouse, Doylestown (photographed 2010), by Smallbones / Wikimedia Commons, public domain.

For more Bucks County real estate tips, follow me on TikTok @dennismartinrealtor, Instagram @dmexpertrealty, and Facebook at Dennis Martin eXp Realty.

DM me for details, or visit dennismartinrealtor.com.

Dennis Martin, REALTOR® | eXp Realty, LLC
Cell 215-913-0711
Office 888-397-7352