Pennsylvania property tax due dates

Cumberland County Property Tax 2026: Rates, Appeals and Exemptions

By Oleg Kachko · Updated July 13, 2026

Verified July 2026 · By Oleg Kachko · Reviewed for accuracy against primary state and county sources

Cumberland County property tax costs the typical homeowner about $3,254 a year, on a median home value of $277,600 – an effective rate of about 1.11%. That is below the national average annual bill of $4,271. This page shows you where that number comes from, who actually sets it, the deadline to challenge it, and the exemptions you may be leaving on the table.

Cumberland County property tax at a Glance

Advertisement
  • Effective property tax rate: 1.11%
  • Median annual bill: $3,254
  • Median home value: $277,600
  • Who assesses your home: Cumberland County Assessment Office
  • Appeal deadline: September 1 (confirm with the county – it does not publish the date)

Cumberland County property tax: the real numbers

Property tax is the most local tax there is. Two homes of the same value in different counties – sometimes in different towns of the same county – can carry very different bills, because the rate is the sum of every overlapping district that taxes you: the county, the town or city, the school district, and often fire, library or water districts on top. So the cumberland county property tax figure below is an average across the whole county – your own bill depends on which districts you sit inside.

Figure Cumberland County National
Median annual property tax bill $3,254 $4,271
Effective property tax rate 1.11% about 0.90%
Median home value $277,600 –

Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (5-year), the same dataset the Tax Foundation uses. The effective rate is total real-estate taxes paid divided by total owner-occupied home value – so it reflects what people actually pay, not the headline millage rate.

Who actually sets your cumberland county property tax value

Your assessed value is set by Cumberland County Assessment Office. That office does not set your tax rate – the county board, your city, and your school district each set their own, and your bill is the sum. So the assessor can only be argued with about one thing: what your home is worth. That is exactly what an appeal is.

Worth knowing about Cumberland County:

Cumberland County does not publish the date on its appeal page. Independent Pennsylvania tax-law sources place it at SEPTEMBER 1, which is also the statutory default. CONFIRM WITH THE COUNTY – and if you are close to the line, file by August 1, which is never late.

How often your cumberland county property tax value is reassessed:

Pennsylvania is the most decentralized system in the country – each of the 67 counties runs its own assessment on a ‘base year’ and there is NO statewide reassessment schedule, so some counties’ values are decades out of date. The State Tax Equalization Board publishes a Common Level Ratio each year to convert old assessments to current market value for appeals.

How to appeal your cumberland county property tax assessment

⚠ The deadline — miss it and you usually wait a full year

September 1 (confirm with the county – it does not publish the date)

Pennsylvania has NO statewide appeal deadline – every county sets its own, and it is usually September 1. File with the Cumberland County Board of Assessment Appeals. TWO THINGS MOST HOMEOWNERS DO NOT KNOW: (1) In 2026 AUGUST 1 FALLS ON A SATURDAY, so August-1 counties run to the next business day, MONDAY AUGUST 3 (Bucks County has confirmed this in writing) – but do not cut it fine.

(2) Separately from the annual deadline, if you get a CHANGE OF ASSESSMENT notice you have 40 DAYS from that notice to appeal, whatever the calendar says. Confirm the exact date with the Cumberland County Assessment Office – the boards do not accept late filings. Cumberland County does not publish the date on its appeal page. Independent Pennsylvania tax-law sources place it at SEPTEMBER 1, which is also the statutory default.

CONFIRM WITH THE COUNTY – and if you are close to the line, file by August 1, which is never late.

Almost every cumberland county property tax appeal comes down to one claim: the assessor thinks my home is worth more than it really is. Everything below is about proving that.

Do this first, before you file anything: ask for your property record card and read it. A surprising share of assessments are simply wrong on the facts – the wrong square footage, a bathroom you do not have, a finished basement that is bare concrete, a garage that was torn down. Factual errors are the easiest appeals to win, because there is nothing to argue about.

Then build the one thing that actually wins appeals: comparable sales. Find three to five homes near you, as similar as you can get on size, age, and condition, that sold recently for less than your assessed value. Not listings – sales. Not Zillow estimates – recorded sales. Boards ignore opinions and respond to comps.

A successful cumberland county property tax appeal does not change your tax rate – it lowers the value the rate is applied to, which lowers the bill for as long as the new value stands.

📨 Get Free Property Tax Guides Alerts

Free · No spam · Unsubscribe anytime

Appeals are heard by the Cumberland County Board of Assessment Appeals. In most places there is a free, informal step first – a conversation or a paper review with the assessor – and it resolves a large share of cases without a hearing. Take it. It costs you nothing and it is the fastest way to win.

One honest warning: an appeal reviews your value, and a review can go up as well as down. That is uncommon when you bring real comparable sales, and it is exactly why you check your comps before you file.

Where to go: Cumberland County Assessment Office.

Cumberland County property tax exemptions you may qualify for

This is where most homeowners quietly overpay their cumberland county property tax. Exemptions are almost never applied automatically – you have to claim them, and many people simply never do. It is worth ten minutes of your time to check.

PENNSYLVANIA IS DIFFERENT – and this is the part that decides your appeal. Pennsylvania is the ONLY state with no required reassessment cycle, so many counties are still taxing off a ‘base year’ that can be decades old. You do NOT win by proving what your home is worth today.

You win by showing that your assessed value, converted with the county’s COMMON LEVEL RATIO (CLR) – published every year by the PA State Tax Equalization Board – comes out ABOVE your home’s real market value. Multiply your assessed value by your county’s CLR factor: if the result is higher than what your home would actually sell for, you have a case. RELIEF: Pennsylvania has no Prop-13-style cap.

The main breaks are the Act 1 HOMESTEAD/FARMSTEAD EXCLUSION (you must APPLY – the deadline is MARCH 1, and the amount is set by your school district, so it varies) and the state PROPERTY TAX/RENT REBATE for those 65+, widowed 50+, or disabled with income under the limit (up to $1,000; up to $1,150 in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Scranton). Confirm with Cumberland County Assessment Office.

Homestead: Homestead/Farmstead Exclusion (Act 1 of 2006, funded by casino/gaming revenue): reduces the assessed value used for SCHOOL taxes on an owner-occupied primary residence. The dollar amount is set by each school district (up to 50% of the district’s median assessed value), so it varies widely. File the Homestead/Farmstead Application with your county assessment office by March 1; once approved it carries forward. (Philadelphia runs its own $100,000 homestead exemption, deadline Dec 1.)

Senior / over-65: Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program (state-funded, Form PA-1000): a rebate up to $1,000 (up to $1,150 in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Scranton) for owners/renters who are 65+, a widow/widower 50+, or disabled 18+, with household income at or below the yearly limit. It’s a state rebate, not a local exemption – file it even if you already get the homestead exclusion. File with the PA Dept of Revenue by June 30.

Veteran: Disabled Veterans’ Real Estate Tax Exemption (51 Pa.C.S. 8901): a FULL exemption from real estate tax on the primary residence for a veteran with a 100% permanent & total service-connected disability, subject to a financial-need review by the State Veterans’ Commission. Surviving spouses may continue it. Apply through your county Veterans Affairs office.

Disability: Pennsylvania’s disability property relief runs through the state Property Tax/Rent Rebate (disabled 18+, income-limited) and the disabled-veteran exemption above. There is no separate statewide disability property exemption.

Common questions about cumberland county property tax

Why did my cumberland county property tax bill go up when I did nothing to the house?
Two different things can raise a bill: your assessed value went up, or a taxing district raised its rate. They are separate, and only the first one can be appealed. Your notice will show which changed.

Is it worth appealing my cumberland county property tax?
Ask one question: would a similar home near mine sell for less than the value the assessor has put on mine? If yes, you have a case, it is usually free to file, and in many places the informal review settles it without a hearing.

Do I need to hire someone to appeal?
No. The informal review and the local board are built for ordinary homeowners to use themselves, and there is normally no fee. Appeal services exist and can be worth it for some people, but you are not required to use one and you should never be told you are.

How is my cumberland county property tax bill actually calculated?
Your assessed value is multiplied by the combined rate of every district that taxes you, then any exemptions you have claimed are subtracted. That is why two neighbours can pay different amounts on identical homes – one of them claimed an exemption the other never did.

More on Pennsylvania property tax

The bottom line on cumberland county property tax

Do two things this week. First, pull your property record card and check the facts – square footage, rooms, condition. Second, check whether you are claiming every exemption you are entitled to, because most people are not. If your cumberland county property tax value looks higher than what a similar home nearby would actually sell for, you have grounds to appeal – and the only thing that can stop you is the deadline above.

Where our cumberland county property tax figures come from

Informational only. Know Property Tax is not a government agency, not a county assessor, and not a tax-appeal service, and this is not legal, tax, or financial advice. Property tax rates, median bills, exemption amounts, and deadlines change every year, and every property is different. Any figure shown here is illustrative. Confirm your rate, your exemptions, and above all your appeal deadline with the office named on this page before you act.

You May Also Like

Related county property tax guides

Lowering your tax bill? Make sure you are not overpaying for home insurance either at Home Insure Guide. Turning 65? You may qualify for senior property tax breaks and new Medicare options at Medicare Cover Guide. Own a home? Make sure your will and estate plan protect it at Wills Probate Guide.