MILFORD, PA — Starting in 2027, Pike County will adjust the way it calculates property assessments, moving the predetermined assessment ratio from 25% to 100% of the 1994 base value. The change was announced in 2026 as part of preparations for a county-wide reassessment.
The 25% ratio has been in place since 1996, set by the Board of Assessment Appeals, and has not been updated in three decades. Officials say shifting to a 100% ratio will provide clearer and more consistent valuations for property owners across the county.
Despite the change, taxpayers should not see an immediate difference in their 2027 bills. Pennsylvania law requires all property tax authorities to adjust millage rates to maintain revenue neutrality in the year of a reassessment or ratio change. In other words, while the assessment number on paper may rise, the tax rate will be lowered proportionally to ensure that total revenue remains the same.
For example, a property with a 1996 base value of $80,000 currently assessed at 25% — resulting in a $20,000 assessment — would generate a county tax bill of roughly $560 using the current rate. Under the new 100% ratio, the same property would have an assessed value of $80,000, but the county tax rate would drop accordingly, keeping the tax bill at $560.
Officials say this shift will make it easier for property owners to understand future reassessments. When the next full county reassessment is completed in 2028, property owners will be able to compare the current market value of their property directly against a base value calculated at 100%, simplifying the calculation of changes in property value.
The change is authorized under the Consolidated Act of 2011, Section 8823, which governs assessment ratios and revenue-neutral adjustments in Pennsylvania.
County leaders say they hope the update will improve transparency and help residents better anticipate future tax impacts as the county’s property market evolves.