Pennsylvania tax burden — broken down.
Pennsylvania’s combined tax burden (income + property + sales) lands at 10.65% on our composite — ranking #30 of 51 jurisdictions. The top marginal individual income tax rate is 3.07%.
Pennsylvania burden, broken into 3 components
| Component | Pennsylvania rate | National median |
|---|---|---|
| Top marginal income | 3.07% | ~5.30% |
| Effective property | 1.58% | ~1.07% |
| State sales tax | 6.00% | ~5.50% |
| Combined composite | 10.65% | ~11.87% |
National medians from CalcFi’s 51-state composite. Top marginal is the headline single-filer rate, NOT the effective rate most households actually pay.
Retirement + Social Security in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania does NOT tax most retirement income (pensions, IRA / 401(k) distributions). Social Security benefits are NOT taxed by Pennsylvania. Federal taxation of these income sources is unchanged regardless of state.
How Pennsylvania compares
Of all 51 US jurisdictions ranked by combined burden composite, Pennsylvania sits at #30. That places Pennsylvania in the middle of the pack — burden is moderate without being a particular outlier in either direction. For the live cross-state heat map, see the interactive tax burden map.
Pennsylvania metros — local tax overlay
State rates are uniform across Pennsylvania— but local income, property, and sales taxes vary. Click any metro to run the full income tax calculator pre-populated with that city’s local layer.
- Philadelphiaproperty 1.40% · pop 6.3Mmedian $54,800 →
- Pittsburghproperty 1.40% · pop 2.4Mmedian $60,800 →
- Allentownproperty 1.40% · pop 0.8Mmedian $62,000 →
- Harrisburgproperty 1.40% · pop 0.6Mmedian $63,200 →
- Scrantonproperty 1.50% · pop 0.6Mmedian $52,400 →
- Lancasterproperty 1.40% · pop 0.6Mmedian $64,400 →
- Erieproperty 1.50% · pop 0.3Mmedian $51,400 →
- Readingproperty 1.70% · pop 0.4Mmedian $48,500 →
- Yorkproperty 1.80% · pop 0.5Mmedian $55,200 →
More Pennsylvania metros coming as we expand city coverage.
Pennsylvania tax — common questions
What is the Pennsylvania top marginal income tax rate in 2025?
Pennsylvania's top marginal individual income tax rate is 3.07% on the highest bracket.
What is the Pennsylvania effective property tax rate?
Pennsylvania's statewide effective property tax rate is 1.58% of home value (annual). On a $400,000 home that's roughly $6,320/yr. Local variation can be ±0.5pp.
Does Pennsylvania tax retirement income or Social Security?
Pennsylvania does NOT tax most retirement income, and does NOT tax Social Security benefits.
Are there any Pennsylvania-specific tax quirks I should know about?
PA has a flat 3.07% state income tax (one of the lowest flat rates) but layered local EITs push effective rate to 4–7%. Retirement income (pensions, 401k) is fully exempt — major retiree advantage.
For the full Pennsylvania state tax breakdown — every bracket, every deduction, all the edge cases — read our deep Pennsylvania state tax guide →
Reviewed by CalcFi Editorial · Source: Tax Foundation State Individual Income Tax Rates (Jan 2025). Last verified 2026-04-19. Methodology at /about/editorial.