Family Life

01.19.11 | Sarah Harnisch

Pennsylvania schools' property taxes are the lowest they've ever been, falling between 1.7 and 2.1%! This is all thanks to a state law called Act 1, which uses money from legalized gambling to lower property taxes. To put it in perspective, New York residents pay $60 for every $1000 their house is worth. That means someone with a $50,000 home pays $2,500 in taxes in New York. Pennsylvanians, on the other hand, would pay less than $1,000 for the same house. Before the gambling revenue, taxes were between 4 and 6% in the Keystone State. So to see them as low as 1.7% has many Pennsylvanians floored. Schools still have the right to ask for a tax increase from voters.