How to Compare Property Taxes by Township
If you're gearing up for a move, it might make sense to take a look at the property taxes of the place you're moving to. In a 'commonwealth' system (e.g. Pennsylvania), each municipality within a county has its own government, and its own tax rates. If you haven't picked a location yet, you can compare the property tax rates of different neighboring communities to find out exactly where you could buy a home with a lower property tax rate.
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Instructions
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Get municipal fact sheets. These basic resources listing population, tax rates and other statistics can be found at municipal offices or online at government or research-based websites. These sheets will tell you the current property tax rate, but not much more.
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Look at archived newspaper clips. News articles will include current (and past) property tax rates. You may even find a published chart of property tax comparisons. Any major changes in a community's property tax rate should be available in a news archive as well.
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Talk to property owners. These are the people who have been paying the property taxes, and they should be able to tell you a lot about tax trends in their area. Ask probing questions about tax trends and probabilities for the future.
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Identify "hungry" school districts. Much of your overall property tax rate is based on a school district's budget. Look for warning signs in the school district such as new building, unaccountable administration, or chronic borrowing that could affect future property tax rates.
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Chart future growth. when you attempt to look at the future expansion of residential populations, you're doing much the same as local government officials. Your concern is for your own property tax; a lot of growth in the area could bump your rates up. For a good home base, look for STABLE growth, ACCOUNTABLE leadership and HAPPY residents.
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