This Pennsylvania city has one of highest property tax burdens in US, report finds
A Pennsylvania city has one of the highest property tax burdens in the nation compared to typical incomes, according to a recent report from financial company SmartAsset.
SmartAsset’s “Cities with the Highest and Lowest Property Tax Burdens” for 2025 was published Dec. 4 and put Allentown in eighth place for the highest property tax burdens.
The report found a typical Allentown resident spends 5.62% of their income on property taxes, compared to just 1.06% in the U.S. city with the lowest property tax burden, Montgomery, Ala.
Allentown’s median household income for those with a mortgage is $67,132, according to SmartAsset, while median monthly housing costs total $1,564, and median annual property taxes are $3,776.
The median household income for mortgage holders in Allentown is nearly $9,000 below the overall statewide median household income for Pennsylvania, which is $76,081.
Loan company Rocket Mortgage reports Pennsylvania has the 12th-highest effective property tax rate in the nation, at 1.35%. New Jersey took the top spot, with an effective tax rate of 2.23%, and Illinois, Connecticut, New Hampshire and Vermont rounded out the top five.
Several Pennsylvania communities will see higher property tax bills in 2026, as reported by TribLive, including North Huntingdon, Allegheny Township, Unity and others.
Eligible Pennsylvania residents who meet income guidelines and are 18 and older with a disability, widowed at 50 or older or age 65 and older may qualify for the commonwealth’s Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program. Applications for property taxes or rent paid in 2025 will opened Jan. 15. Potential rebate amounts range from $380 to $1,000, with supplemental rebates available to some applicants.
The Centre Daily Times has contacted city officials with Allentown for comment about SmartAsset’s analysis.
Top 20 cities with the highest property tax burdens
Here’s how the top 20 cities with the highest tax burdens compared, according to SmartAsset:
1. Paterson, N.J.: 9.76% of median income spent on property taxes
2. Bridgeport, Conn.: 7.42%
3. Waterbury, Conn.: 7.07%
4. Newark, N.J.: 6.05%
5. Jersey City, N.J.: 6.02%
6. Richmond, Calif.: 6%
7. Aurora, Ill.: 5.83%
8. Allentown, Pa.: 5.62%
9. New Haven, Conn.: 5.57%
10. Stamford, Conn.: 5.51%
11. Hartford, Conn.: 5.5%
12. Elgin, Ill.: 5.46%
13. Oakland, Calif.: 5.36%
14. Edinburg, Texas: 5.32%
15. Georgetown, Texas: 5.21%
16. Conroe, Texas: 5.14%
17. Davie, Fla.: 5.11%
18. Grand Prairie, Texas: 5.08%
19. Ann Arbor, Mich.: 5.05%
20. Hollywood, Fla.: 4.98%
Some of the cities with the lowest property tax burdens include Montgomery, Huntsville and Mobile in Alabama, as well as Tempe, Ariz., and Sunrise Manor, Nev., according to SmartAsset’s report.
