Pros and Cons of living in PA?

[xd40c]

I long for the days when I lived in the LOW tax state of Maryland.

PA is killing me. The taxes here are even more ridiculous than MD. Other than the lower personal income tax, you pay much more here. This from someone who spent the first 53-1/2 years of their life in MD.

1. Personal income tax-Lower in PA
2. Property tax-Lower in PA
3. School Tax-Non Existent in MD. Mine is 2X the Prop. tax (1700 prop + 3500 school)
3. County Income Tax-Non Existent in MD
4. Per Capita Tax-Non Existent in MD
5. STREET LAMP tax- Non Existent in MD
6. Sales Tax Both 6%

So, if you want to move to PA, go for it. but don't think you'll be saving any tax money by moving here.

 

[alucard0822]

Con...being referred to as a 'Pennsituckeyan'. Eventually you'll see merge signs as stop signs.

so much this. PA drivers are polite nervous pu$$ies. You will see people stop on a road with 100 cars behind them to let one guy out of a parking lot, and nobody honks(well except for me). People will stop on on-ramps about 50% of the time, and honk at me going around them to merge. Traffic circles are rare, and nobody knows what the F- to do, seems the prevailing method is to stop and yield, doesn't matter if you are entering, in ,or exiting the circle. One good thing is obstructing the passing lane is unlawful and enforced, pulling a Lone Ranger is probably the best way to get a local to flip out in traffic.

 

[j_h_smith]

Every state finds SOME way to get theirs out of you.

State Income taxes are lower in PA. So are housing prices in general. They make that up with the school-tax. It's probably about break-even, no matter how much whining you hear about it. Unless you live in certain districts...Dallastown being one of the big ones in southern York County with very high school taxes.

Seen houses sitting on the market forever, for prices way below what they're worth, because they are just over the district line for Dallastown school district and the school tax simply makes them unaffordable. But in most cases, try to by a comparable house in MD, and the sale price goes up to compensate for "no school tax". Free market and all that.

Dallastown school district is the worst. Three years ago, we put a deposit down on a newly constructed house. About a week later we found out about the school system building 2 new schools and that cost was being forwarded to the tax payers living there. So we backed out of the deal.

Three years later, I own a newly constructed house in Hazzard County and rent out my old house in Baltimore County. Both of these house's tax bills are less than the house in PA once you add the school tax into the mix.

I don't know how people in that district can survive. I wondered and never asked, once the new school construction cost is paid for, are the school taxes reduced to pre construction dollars?

 

[xd40c]

I wondered and never asked, once the new school construction cost is paid for, are the school taxes reduced to pre construction dollars?

Of course they are...not.

 

[j_h_smith]

Of course they are...not.

So the Dallastown school district area will become a wasteland in 15 years. Why build 2 new schools if no one can afford to live in that district?

 

[POP57]

We do it a tad different here in Delaware. If a school district seeks a school tax increase, a referendum is held and the populace votes yea or nay.

 

[PapiBarcelona]

So the Dallastown school district area will become a wasteland in 15 years. Why build 2 new schools if no one can afford to live in that district?

Nah. Too close to 83 and 74.

People with Maryland jobs will always live in lower York County.

 

[Mr Bear]

Until a couple of yrs ago, my ex & I owned a farm in Fulton County, Pa. Had over 100 acres, 2700 sq ft house, large barn, horse shed, 2 other small bldgs, 2 wells, large septic field. Taxes were $2100/yr thanks to the property falling under the "clean & green" program. Food was cheaper, gasoline started out being cheaper, but then became more expensive than Md. Something like $1600 of my taxes went to the school system. Fulton is considered a rural county.

 

[j_h_smith]

Until a couple of yrs ago, my ex & I owned a farm in Fulton County, Pa. Had over 100 acres, 2700 sq ft house, large barn, horse shed, 2 other small bldgs, 2 wells, large septic field. Taxes were $2100/yr thanks to the property falling under the "clean & green" program. Food was cheaper, gasoline started out being cheaper, but then became more expensive than Md. Something like $1600 of my taxes went to the school system. Fulton is considered a rural county.

You used a clean and green program and you still couldn't afford the property? Things must have gotten bad then. What I don't like about the clean and green program is that when you sell the property, you have to pay back the savings.

It's good for some I suppose. My buddy has a farmette and is using the program. I almost bought a 20 acre piece of property near the airport and potato chip factory. However the seller was a jerk and thought he had prime real estate. So we could never come together with a realistic price.

Sorry to hear about the issues.

 

[Mack C-85]

I long for the days when I lived in the LOW tax state of Maryland.

PA is killing me. The taxes here are even more ridiculous than MD. Other than the lower personal income tax, you pay much more here. This from someone who spent the first 53-1/2 years of their life in MD.

1. Personal income tax-Lower in PA
2. Property tax-Lower in PA
3. School Tax-Non Existent in MD. Mine is 2X the Prop. tax (1700 prop + 3500 school)
3. County Income Tax-Non Existent in MD
4. Per Capita Tax-Non Existent in MD
5. STREET LAMP tax- Non Existent in MD
6. Sales Tax Both 6%

So, if you want to move to PA, go for it. but don't think you'll be saving any tax money by moving here.

#4. Negative..... piggy back income tax in all counties the Baltimore City. Can be up to 3.2% of state taxable income.

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[reddobie0]

So the Dallastown school district area will become a wasteland in 15 years. Why build 2 new schools if no one can afford to live in that district?

Will never happen. I was born and raised in Dallastown and went all 12 years in the school district. I still own multiple properties in the school district and don't understand why you think the tax is so high there. I have people that want to be in the school district because it is highly rated. I have several single family homes valued from $125K to about $175K and the highest tax on the most expensive 1 is about $2300 a year with school tax. Granted it is a little higher than MD but not drastic like NJ. I live in AA county so I am comparing it to my properties here, my 1 property in AA is around $225K and I pay about $2300 a year tax on it so not too far off from PA taxes. I can only imagine the tax in PG county, probably same or more than PA.

Also all the Marylanders keep moving up there, but continue to work in MD. I sold a house in Leader heights to a guy who works in Baltimore a few years ago and he was happy about how much more house he got than in MD and how the area and people were nicer.

Also certain things like clothes,shoes, and some other things aren't taxed in PA from what I remember unlike Md.

 

[j_h_smith]

Will never happen. I was born and raised in Dallastown and went all 12 years in the school district. I still own multiple properties in the school district and don't understand why you think the tax is so high there. I have people that want to be in the school district because it is highly rated. I have several single family homes valued from $125K to about $175K and the highest tax on the most expensive 1 is about $2300 a year with school tax. Granted it is a little higher than MD but not drastic like NJ. I live in AA county so I am comparing it to my properties here, my 1 property in AA is around $225K and I pay about $2300 a year tax on it so not too far off from PA taxes. I can only imagine the tax in PG county, probably same or more than PA.

Also all the Marylanders keep moving up there, but continue to work in MD. I sold a house in Leader heights to a guy who works in Baltimore a few years ago and he was happy about how much more house he got than in MD and how the area and people were nicer.

Also certain things like clothes,shoes, and some other things aren't taxed in PA from what I remember unlike Md.

I was quoted $4500 for School taxes when I was considering buying a new home in D-town.

 

[Mightydog]

Yes they are but you have to remember in PA you have school, county and local tax. School tax is just the state property taxes. My total property taxes here on the state line basically are 3200 a year for 2500sq ft rancher on almost 3/4 of an acre.

My dads place in the Allentown area is in town corner lot. Pays city, state, borough tax, recycle fee...all in all over $6500 tax on a house appraised at $115. School taxes have gotten so bad they pulled it out of the regular tax bill and have a separate bill for that. I only pay $3600 for my 1 acre $250k appraised home in Fredneck county. Good point is that they do not tax military retirement.

 

[travistheone]

I guess it's better than dundalk, but compared to the nice areas outside of baltimore, PA is a shit-hole.

 

[reddobie0]

I guess it's better than dundalk, but compared to the nice areas outside of baltimore, PA is a shit-hole.

To each his own, but I would rather be subjected to their laws than Marylands. At least I could buy cool guns and walk out with a pistol that day. When I go to another state and want to look at a gun or consider buying it they will let me, instead of "Oh your from Maryland, have good day you are not allowed to have that in your nanny state!"

 

[travistheone]

yea, because guns are the most important thing in the world...

 

[reddobie0]

So are taxes and I had more in my paycheck when I lived there than here. Plus the further from Baltimore the better. Also you are on a gun forum so- YEAH! Don't be a hater!

 

[travistheone]

just saying that moving from hunt valley to south york would be like throwing out the baby with the bath water. or trading in a brand new land cruiser for a blazer with 200k on it. just doesn't make sense outside of principle. Oh, and if you commute to baltimore or DC add in an hour or two (or three) to your total commute.

 

[AJRB]

In regard to roads in PA being so much worse.....WOW...has anyone driven through Hampstead lately?

 

[Afrikeber]

Ugh... I struggle with these questions and options a lot lately. The entire Tri-state area has become more of the same. Hell .......get a house boat and live on the water and claim no state.