Susquehanna County tops in state for home value growth

Susquehanna County ranks first in home value growth in Pennsylvania, according to a recent study released by SmartAsset.

That comes as no surprise to real estate agent Angie Hall. “I always promote Susquehanna County as the greatest places to live.  One of the biggest advantages of living here is our beautiful landscape of the Endless Mountains, our low taxes, and our easy access to Interstate 81. People want to escape the crowded cities and enjoy our peace and quiet. All our neighbors looks out for one another.”

According to SmartAsset, the study “aims to find the places in the United States where people are getting the most value for their property tax dollars” using property taxes paid, school rankings and change in property values over a five-year period.

Susquehanna County’s home value growth rate came in at 91.68 percent – a marked increase from the 2020 study where the county ranked ninth in the state with a home value growth of 16.91 percent.

The increase in the home value growth also propelled Susquehanna County to an eighth place statewide ranking in 2022 in Best Overall Value.

The effective property tax rate (1.26 percent) and school value (6.00) remained unchanged in the past two years. The effective tax rate is equal to the annual property tax as a percentage of home value.

According to the data, the median home value in the county is $173,100 with the median property tax payment coming in a $2,173 and is the sum of school taxes, as well as municipal and county taxes.

About one-quarter of tax bills in Susquehanna County are sent outside the county – indicating that many homes in the county are being used as second or vacation homes.

SmartAsset is an online site providing consumer-focused financial information and advice to SmartAdvisor, which connects consumers to financial advisors.

 

Hall said, “We have wonderful small towns that have activities for everyone,  Elk Mountain, Salt Springs,  and all our small town festivals,” as she noted the year-round activities that take place in the area. She also noted that the county’s overall support of the second amendment plays a role in drawing people to the area. “Susquehanna county is just a great place to work, live, and play.”