Pennsylvania · Chester County · Local exemptions · Updated Oct 2026

Chester County, PA property tax exemptions (2026)

The property tax breaks that are set or run locally in Chester County, on top of Pennsylvania’s statewide rules: what each is worth here, who qualifies, where to apply and the deadline.

What is different in Chester County

The state-funded homestead/farmstead school tax relief in Chester County depends on your school district: PDE estimates it at $215 to $568 a year per approved home for 2025-26 across 12 districts. You apply once with the Chester County Assessment Office by March 1; other exemptions follow the statewide rules.

Apply at
Chester County Assessment Office
Phone
610-344-6105
Local breaks
Homestead/Farmstead Exclusion (state gaming-funded school tax relief, Act 1 of 2006)
Tax year
2025-26

Where to apply in Chester County

Chester County Assessment Office

Phone
610-344-6105
Address
313 W. Market St., Suite 4202, West Chester, PA 19380
Official exemptions page

Other offices

Local exemptions in Chester County

Homestead

Homestead/Farmstead Exclusion (state gaming-funded school tax relief, Act 1 of 2006)

Varies by school district. PDE estimates 2025-26 school tax relief per approved homestead from $215 (Great Valley SD) to $568 (Avon Grove SD) across the 12 districts PDE lists under Chester County (median $369). The actual amount is calculated by each district and shown on your school tax bill; see the table of districts.

Set by
school district (state program, local amount)
Tax year
2025-26
Who qualifies
You own the home and it is your permanent primary residence. Farmstead: farm buildings used for agriculture on a farm of 10 or more contiguous acres. No age or income test.
How to apply
File the Homestead/Farmstead application with the Chester County Assessment-Homestead Office, 313 W. Market St., Suite 4202, P.O. Box 2748, West Chester, PA 19380-0991, between December 15 and March 1 (next business day if March 1 is a weekend). Applications received after March 1 are held for the next enrollment period.
Deadline
Apply December 15 to March 1 for the school tax year that starts July 1
Renewal
One-time: once approved you do not reapply unless ownership changes or you move. Tell the assessment office within 45 days if the home stops being your primary residence.

Source: official page

Amounts by taxing unit in Chester County

Each school district, city or other taxing unit can set its own amount. Find the ones on your tax bill.

Sort:
Taxing unitTypeHomestead break per homeApproved homesteads 2025-26 (number of homes)State allocation 2026-27 (whole-district total, not per home)Source
Avon Grove SDschool district$568 a year (PDE estimate, 2025-26)8,194$4,658,005 for the whole district (not per home)official
Coatesville Area SDschool district$447 a year (PDE estimate, 2025-26)15,059$6,720,444 for the whole district (not per home)official
Downingtown Area SDschool district$348 a year (PDE estimate, 2025-26)19,115$6,765,396 for the whole district (not per home)official
Great Valley SDschool district$215 a year (PDE estimate, 2025-26)8,536$1,837,547 for the whole district (not per home)official
Kennett Consolidated SDschool district$406 a year (PDE estimate, 2025-26)6,118$2,482,837 for the whole district (not per home)official
Octorara Area SDschool district$475 a year (PDE estimate, 2025-26)4,126$1,958,433 for the whole district (not per home)official
Owen J Roberts SDschool district$275 a year (PDE estimate, 2025-26)9,310$2,575,692 for the whole district (not per home)official
Oxford Area SDschool district$471 a year (PDE estimate, 2025-26)5,777$2,724,810 for the whole district (not per home)official
Phoenixville Area SDschool district$277 a year (PDE estimate, 2025-26)8,425$2,311,259 for the whole district (not per home)official
Tredyffrin-Easttown SDschool district$344 a year (PDE estimate, 2025-26)10,831$3,726,857 for the whole district (not per home)official
Unionville-Chadds Ford SDschool district$390 a year (PDE estimate, 2025-26)6,498$2,536,375 for the whole district (not per home)official
West Chester Area SDschool district$249 a year (PDE estimate, 2025-26)24,534$6,069,963 for the whole district (not per home)official

State exemptions that also apply here

These breaks come from Pennsylvania law. Their full rules, forms and deadlines are on the Pennsylvania page.

All Pennsylvania property tax exemptions

By group in Pennsylvania: Seniors · Veterans · Disability · Surviving spouses

Savings estimate for Chester County

Roughly what an exemption could save you a year: the value it takes off, times your tax rate.

Filled in when the exemption is a fixed dollar amount. You can change it.

Chester County median effective rate: 1.22% (taxes paid as a share of home value). Use your own rate if you know it.

Enter a value and a tax rateChoose an exemption or type the value it takes off.

Median effective rate in Chester County: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2020–2024 5-year estimates, county figures as published by Tax Foundation. It is a county-wide middle value; rates differ by town and school district.

An estimate, not a bill. Nothing you type here is sent anywhere.

Eligibility finder for Chester County

Answer a few questions to see which property tax breaks may fit you. Nothing you type here is sent anywhere.

Leave empty if you'd rather not say.

Everyone in the home, before taxes. Optional: used only to compare with income limits.

Do you own and live in the home?Answer the first question to see results.

A first check, not a decision: only your county, city or town assessor decides. We read ages, ratings and income limits only where the official rule states them plainly; otherwise we show the rule for you to check.

Document checklist for Chester County

Pick the breaks you plan to apply for. You get a checklist of forms, documents, steps and deadlines to print or keep on your phone.

The checklist asks for no personal details and nothing is sent to our server: the files are made on your device.

Exemptions to include

Questions about property tax exemptions in Chester County

What property tax exemptions are there in Chester County?

The state-funded homestead/farmstead school tax relief in Chester County depends on your school district: PDE estimates it at $215 to $568 a year per approved home for 2025-26 across 12 districts. You apply once with the Chester County Assessment Office by March 1; other exemptions follow the statewide rules. Local breaks here: Homestead/Farmstead Exclusion (state gaming-funded school tax relief, Act 1 of 2006).

Where do I apply for a property tax exemption in Chester County?

Chester County Assessment Office Phone: 610-344-6105 Address: 313 W. Market St., Suite 4202, West Chester, PA 19380. Also: Pennsylvania Department of Education, Property Tax Relief, which state program: sets each school district's yearly property tax reduction allocation.

When is the deadline to apply in Chester County?

Homestead/Farmstead Exclusion (state gaming-funded school tax relief, Act 1 of 2006): Apply December 15 to March 1 for the school tax year that starts July 1.

Do I have to reapply every year in Chester County?

Homestead/Farmstead Exclusion (state gaming-funded school tax relief, Act 1 of 2006): One-time: once approved you do not reapply unless ownership changes or you move. Tell the assessment office within 45 days if the home stops being your primary residence.

Do Pennsylvania’s statewide exemptions apply in Chester County too?

Yes. The statewide breaks on our Pennsylvania page apply here as well, for example Homestead and Farmstead Exclusion (Taxpayer Relief Act), Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program and Disabled Veterans' Real Estate Tax Exemption. This page adds what Chester County sets or runs itself.

Good to know in Chester County

  • If your school district is not in the table, PDE lists it under a neighboring county (a district that crosses county lines appears under one county only); the application still goes to the assessment office of the county where your home is.
  • PDE's per-homestead figures are estimates; each district calculates the actual reduction and must show it on the school tax bill as a "Notice of Property Tax Relief".

Think your assessed value is too high? See how to appeal in Chester County.

Sources

Last checked: Oct 2026.