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If anyone knows, it would be interesting to calculate or know how to calculate exact bundle of taxes for Pittsburgh.
In anothe rthread, I recently provided some tax bundles for various suburban townships. Are you interested in a bundle for the City of Pittsburgh instead?
I can second the snowbelt effect. The Eastern and Western sides of the state are very different! The cold Canadian air swoops down over the great lakes picking up moisture and the dropping it again as it passes over dry land (Pittsburgh valley area).
This means snow! It is not uncommon to not see grass from November to March although this winter was pretty mild until January.
The other consideration that I mentioned but most people ignore is what this weather does in the summer. Very severe storms, wind, hail, tornadoes especially in the PGH region and surrounding areas. It is very common to lose power for days in the spring and summer because of storm damage and to have cars damaged by hail if they are not in a garage.
Just looking at the national weather service for the records it shows Vermont having 37 tornadoes since 1950 and Pennsylvania having over 700! Essentially we get hit every year multiple times.
As far as taxes go, you will feel them for sure. Taxes on a $200,000 home can be 5-6k annually then add in your school taxes and township/municipal taxes.
Everyone wonders why PGH continues to shrink and why there are all these "great old houses" for sale. IT'S THE TAXES!
Once taxes are added in you might as well move somewhere else and buy a house that's twice as big.
I find PGH to have some really great areas but having lived elsewhere my wife and I are planning on leaving PGH again as the taxes are just getting out of control and the weather leaves much to be desired.
Also something that no one has mentioned is that where PGH is located (Allegheny county) has the second highest amount of seniors next to one county in Florida.
They will vote your wages and property to death to fund their health or other benefits and will not hesitate to tell anyone under 45 "how they would do things" whether you are cutting your grass or standing in line at the bank. In addition- they are miserable drivers.
Unlike most elderly I see other places who I find are an incredible source of knowledge and experience, the seniors in PGH have long grown bitter about the death of their city- oh, they're racist too. You will hear the "n" word bantered about by them regularly...I know I have.
Sorry, if this is harsh. I was born and raised here and have lived in many states and cities including Los Angeles and there is a lot of bad out there- but there is a reason that PGH has been shrinking for over 20 years now. Stay away!
Kiplinger Report Finds Pennsylvania First Worst In Taxes Among 50 States
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One could own a #329,610 home in Santa Fe, New Mexico and pay just $1,288 in property taxes. While in Harrisburg, a $112,330 home costs the taxpayer $6,551 in property taxes. One could own a $275,560 home in Annapolis, Maryland and pay just $3,483, while a home in Harrisburg worth less than half as much, would cost the taxpayer $3,088 more per year than the Marylander would pay in property tax.
While comparing taxes is an inexact science, at best, it does seem like taxes are inordinately high in Pittsburgh, and perhaps all of Pennsylvania. We own a house valued on the open market at $500,000 - $600,000 and pay $2100 per year in property taxes. This includes school taxes, in fact school tax is the majority of the bill. However, Colorado has a lot of local sales taxes. Colorado sales tax is 3%. Louisville sales tax is 8.12%, about average for the metro area. The extra 5% is mass transit tax, scientific and culltural facilities tax, football stadium tax, baseball stadium tax, etc collected in the entire metro area; county sales tax and city sales tax. We do get to vote on all our taxes; no legislative body can "impose" a tax on us.
Nevertheless, all the articles on taxes point to Pennsylvania as having one of the highest tax burderns in the US. Property tax is supposed to be the most "regressive" type of tax, because everyone pays at the same rate, and the property value generally rises over time.
Anyone considering a move to PA (or anywhere) should look at the tax burden and compare it to their present situation.
While comparing taxes is an inexact science, at best, it does seem like taxes are inordinately high in Pittsburgh, and perhaps all of Pennsylvania. We own a house valued on the open market at $500,000 - $600,000 and pay $2100 per year in property taxes. This includes school taxes, in fact school tax is the majority of the bill. However, Colorado has a lot of local sales taxes. Colorado sales tax is 3%. Louisville sales tax is 8.12%, about average for the metro area. The extra 5% is mass transit tax, scientific and culltural facilities tax, football stadium tax, baseball stadium tax, etc collected in the entire metro area; county sales tax and city sales tax. We do get to vote on all our taxes; no legislative body can "impose" a tax on us.
Nevertheless, all the articles on taxes point to Pennsylvania as having one of the highest tax burderns in the US. Property tax is supposed to be the most "regressive" type of tax, because everyone pays at the same rate, and the property value generally rises over time.
Anyone considering a move to PA (or anywhere) should look at the tax burden and compare it to their present situation.
Sales tax in PA is 6% but 7% in Allegheny county, the extra 1% is the city tax. There is also an annual city tax if you work in the city and the state income tax is about 4%. All of this above and beyond property taxes of course...and this says nothing of the way utilities are taxed...gah, the electric and gas bills here are obscene- and you will be heating your home most of the year. Township taxes vary from 1/2% to 4% or so.
I've always said PA is great for people who LOVE government. I don't.
There is also an annual city tax if you work in the city and the state income tax is about 4%.
Pennsylvania state income tax is 3.07%.
Pennsylvania doesn't tax retirement income. My girlfriend is moving from MD to PA so they won't have to pay income tax on her husband's military retirement pay each year.
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Originally Posted by LivinPA
Township taxes vary from 1/2% to 4% or so.
Almost all Allegheny County suburban township taxes for earned-income are 1%.
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Originally Posted by PittNurse
Anyone considering a move to PA (or anywhere) should look at the tax burden and compare it to their present situation.
I completely agree about the 'or anywhere' statement. Life is a balance of what's important. I know many people who are chosing to move from Maryland and Virginia to Pennsylvania so they can own more house for their money. Property values in the greater Washington, D.C. and Baltimore region are so high that people have a better standard of living if they just move over the border into Pennsylvania. They might pay a higher property tax (might), but they are getting way more house for their money. And in the actual cost of the house they are actually saving money and paying out less overall for their housing in mortage payments and taxes.
Correct, it is levied county-wide. I was referring to the fact that it exists due to the city. Hence the 7% tax in the area of Pittsburgh and also Philly.
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Pennsylvania doesn't tax retirement income. My girlfriend is moving from MD to PA so they won't have to pay income tax on her husband's military retirement pay each year.
Yes, this reinforces what I stated above. Laws and taxes here favor the elderly who dominate the area and as you said more are moving here everyday while the young leave. If you happen to love PGH and are of retirement age and can find a place where the property taxes aren't outrageous then it may be for you.
For the working family, you are going to be picking up the slack for all the elderly in the area that require the basic services we all do but aren't paying any sort of income tax to offset it.
I'm not saying I'm in favor of taxing retirement pay OR that I'm blaming the elderly for my poor opinion of PGH. I'm just stating that the numbers fall where they do and that's how it adds up.
A lot of elderly not being taxed, very little tourism or new business moving in and the working class here gets hammered- to say nothing of the insane pay grades and corruption by state employees.
If you're elderly and looking for other people in your age range and excellent medical care, PGH may be at the top of your list.
If you're middle class and looking to move to a place where you can afford your dream home PGH is not a good option.
And by the way, yes the property taxes in some areas outside the city are still relatively low. They are in the process of being re-assessed at a county level and will hit everyone in PA soon enough. My parent's went from $500 annually to $4000 annually for their 2 bedroom home at the last assessment...
One could own a $329,610 home in Santa Fe, New Mexico and pay just $1,288 in property taxes. While in Harrisburg, a $112,330 home costs the taxpayer $6,551 in property taxes. One could own a $275,560 home in Annapolis, Maryland and pay just $3,483, while a home in Harrisburg worth less than half as much, would cost the taxpayer $3,088 more per year than the Marylander would pay in property tax.
Yes, they're high, but comparisons like this are tricky.
The state income tax rate in New Mexico is 6.8%, while the rate in PA is 3.07%. Plus, "It's 28.4% more expensive to live in Santa Fe, New Mexico than Harrisburg-Lebanon-Carlisle, Pennsylvania." (from Moderator cut: linking to competitors sites is not allowed)
Similarly, the state income tax rate in Maryland is 4.75%. And, "It's 61.4% more expensive to live in Washington, Washington DC than Harrisburg-Lebanon-Carlisle, Pennsylvania." (Also from best places.net/col, but I had to use neighboring D.C. as the basis for comparison.)
Yes, they're high, but comparisons like this are tricky.
The state income tax rate in New Mexico is 6.8%, while the rate in PA is 3.07%. Plus, "It's 28.4% more expensive to live in Santa Fe, New Mexico than Harrisburg-Lebanon-Carlisle, Pennsylvania." (from Moderator cut: linking to competitors sites is not allowed)
Similarly, the state income tax rate in Maryland is 4.75%. And, "It's 61.4% more expensive to live in Washington, Washington DC than Harrisburg-Lebanon-Carlisle, Pennsylvania." (Also from best places.net/col, but I had to use neighboring D.C. as the basis for comparison.)
Very tricky -- I live in California, and my property taxes on my 500K house (which is 1,005 square feet, over 80 years old in a not so nice section of town!!) run around two thousand a year. Sounds like heaven, huh?
State income tax is 9%. My road is pitted, long ruts of potholes. Curbs are crumbling, and no relief in sight.
Eggs are 3.29 a dozen -- just regular eggs -- not the fancy grade organic kind, and our regular gas just hit 3 bucks a gallon. IT'S NOT EVEN SPRING! A few months ago, I wanted to make a couple of small tenderloin filet mignons for us -- and they were over 17 bucks a pound. Not at a restaurant -- at the grocery store! SAFEWAY! Not Whole Foods!
While it may seem to make sense to compare property taxes with property taxes, in this case property taxes are one small piece of the quality of life puzzle.
Very tricky -- I live in California, and my property taxes on my 500K house (which is 1,005 square feet, over 80 years old in a not so nice section of town!!) run around two thousand a year. Sounds like heaven, huh?
500k for a 1,005 square foot, 80 year old home doesn't sound like heaven to me! I could get a house like that in Pennsylvania for under 100k, and the property taxes would be under $2,000, not to mention the mortgage payment would be much less too.
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Originally Posted by Tallysmom
While it may seem to make sense to compare property taxes with property taxes, in this case property taxes are one small piece of the quality of life puzzle.
Exactly! Many houses in Pennsylvania under 100k are 500 square feet larger than yours and in safe working class neighborhoods.
Even though taxes you're paying are a higher tax rate, you're paying less for the house so you're getting more for your money overall in Pennsylvania.
The standard of living is better because you can afford more house for your money in Pennsylvania. But it's also a better standard of living because the money you save on housing can go towards buying a vacation property or whatever you want to do with the extra thousands you're not paying in mortgage payments every month.
It's important to weight the overall pros and cons before making a decision about any area. I would never base my decision soley on taxes.
500k for a 1,005 square foot, 80 year old home doesn't sound like heaven to me! I could get a house like that in Pennsylvania for under 100k, and the property taxes would be under $2,000, not to mention the mortgage payment would be much less too.
This is why I tell people that buying real estate in California isn't a bad idea... we bought this house 20 years ago for 72,000... and our mortgage is 642.50 -- this counts some remodeling...
When we bought our mortgage payment was around 756.00 and people thought we were crazy for buying then. It's more than paid for itself... and with our earnings 20 years higher and self employed we can sock away a lot of money. So we can retire early... and move!
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