Moving from Pennsylvania to Orlando: Costs, Areas and Homes

In the Philadelphia suburbs, the typical homeowner pays $5,448 to $6,198 a year in property tax. Around Orlando, the typical bill is about $2,700 to $3,200. But Pennsylvania is not New York: its state income tax is a flat 3.07%, it does not tax most retirement income, and homes in much of the state cost less than they do here.

So the move saves some Pennsylvanians a lot and others very little. This page puts the real numbers side by side, county by county, so you can see which one you are.

$5,448 to $6,198
Median yearly real estate tax paid, Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties (Census ACS 2024)
$2,696 to $3,227
Median yearly real estate tax paid, Orange, Seminole, Lake and Volusia (Census ACS 2024)
3.07%
Pennsylvania flat personal income tax rate, before any local earned income tax (pa.gov)
3.735%
Philadelphia resident wage tax rate as of July 1, 2026 (phila.gov)

Get a free Pennsylvania to Orlando relocation plan

Tell Brenden when you are moving and roughly what you want to spend. He will send back the two or three areas that fit, what that budget buys in each, and how to shop from Pennsylvania. No cost, no obligation.

Rather talk it through? Call 407-616-9019.

Pennsylvania vs Central Florida, county by county

Same survey, same year, same definitions, so the comparison is fair. These are what homeowners report, not asking prices.

AreaMedian home valueMedian yearly real estate taxMedian monthly owner cost (with mortgage)Median household income
Philadelphia County$253,600$2,100$1,648$60,521
Bucks County$467,100$5,448$2,382$112,678
Chester County$538,900$6,198$2,687$131,424
Delaware County$367,100$6,141$2,264$90,088
Montgomery County$461,900$5,795$2,456$111,855
Lehigh County$331,200$4,504$1,953$81,270
Allegheny County$242,600$3,368$1,730$81,071
Pennsylvania$277,600$3,214$1,775$77,545
Orange County, FL$432,500$3,227$2,216$82,152
Seminole County, FL$424,600$2,745$2,069$85,403
Lake County, FL$360,100$2,860$2,032$76,617
Volusia County, FL$353,500$2,696$1,891$71,508
United States$360,600$3,211$2,035$81,604

Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates, tables B25077 (median value of owner-occupied homes), B25103 (median real estate taxes paid), B25088 (median selected monthly owner costs with a mortgage) and B19013 (median household income), pulled 2026-09-16 from api.census.gov.

The honest trade, and it cuts both ways: the median property tax in Philadelphia County is $2,100, lower than in any of the four Central Florida counties, and Pennsylvania's statewide median of $3,214 is about the same as Orange County's $3,227. Home values run lower in much of Pennsylvania too: $253,600 in Philadelphia County and $242,600 in Allegheny, against $353,500 to $432,500 in the four Central Florida counties. If you are coming from the Philadelphia suburbs, the property tax gap is real, but it can be smaller for a new buyer than these medians suggest. Many Florida owners in the survey have years of Save Our Homes caps behind them, and a home you buy is reassessed at market value as of the January 1 after your purchase, so ask for a tax estimate at your purchase price, not the seller's current bill. If you are coming from the city or from western Pennsylvania, the same house may cost you more here.

What the income tax difference looks like

Pennsylvania taxes income at a flat 3.07%, with no standard deduction or personal exemption. Take $150,000 of taxable compensation:

Pennsylvania income tax: 3.07% x $150,000 = $4,605
Philadelphia resident wage tax, if you live in the city: 3.735% x $150,000 = $5,603, for about $10,208 combined
Florida state income tax on the same income: $0

Outside Philadelphia, municipalities and school districts may levy a local earned income tax, generally limited to 1% combined (Pittsburgh residents pay more, 3% combined for the city and school district), so check your own municipality's rate. Illustration only, not a tax estimate.

If you are retired, the income tax savings may be small. Pennsylvania does not tax distributions from eligible retirement plans after retirement age, Social Security, or IRA withdrawals taken without an early-withdrawal penalty. A retiree living on that income may already pay little Pennsylvania income tax, so the move's savings would come mostly from property tax, and only if you are leaving a higher-tax county.

Sources: Pennsylvania Department of Revenue, personal income tax; PA personal income tax guide, gross compensation (retirement income); City of Philadelphia tax rate history; Pennsylvania DCED, local withholding tax FAQs; Florida Constitution, Article VII.

What homes actually sold for last month

The Census figures above are what owners estimate their homes are worth. These are real closings in Stellar MLS for August 2026.

CountyMedian sale priceClosed salesMedian days on market
Orange$425,0001,36734
Seminole$420,00049528
Lake$375,00068644
Volusia$340,00071547

Source: Stellar MLS via Bridge RESO API, StandardStatus Closed, PropertyType Residential, closings in August 2026, pulled 2026-09-08. One month is a snapshot, not a trend.

Wondering what a specific budget buys? See what $475,000 buys in Clermont, Winter Garden and Minneola or what $575,000 buys in Lake Mary, Winter Springs and Oviedo.

Where to start looking

It comes down to three questions: will you commute into Orlando, do you want to be near the ocean, and how much house do you want for the money.

Commuting into Orlando

Areas to compare on price

For scale: over the 12 months to August 2026, Clermont's median closed price was $470,000 against $673,392 in nearby Winter Garden (Stellar MLS closed sales).

Full county-by-county breakdown, homestead rules and a buy-before-you-move plan are in the Relocating to Orlando guide.

What Pennsylvania movers ask

Are property taxes lower in Orlando than in Pennsylvania?

It depends where you live now. In the Census Bureau's 2024 American Community Survey, the median homeowner paid $5,448 to $6,198 a year in Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties, but $2,100 in Philadelphia County and $3,214 across Pennsylvania. In Orange, Seminole, Lake and Volusia counties the median was $2,696 to $3,227.

Does Florida have a state income tax?

No. Article VII, Section 5 of the Florida Constitution bars a state tax on the income of individuals. Pennsylvania taxes income at a flat 3.07%, and Philadelphia residents also pay a city wage tax of 3.735% as of July 1, 2026.

I am retiring. Will I save income tax by moving from Pennsylvania to Florida?

Maybe not much. Pennsylvania does not tax distributions from eligible retirement plans after retirement age, Social Security, or IRA withdrawals without an early-withdrawal penalty. If that is most of your income, your savings would come mainly from property tax, and only if you are leaving a county with higher property taxes than Central Florida.

Will a Pennsylvania home sale buy an equal home in Orlando?

Not always. The 2024 median home value was $253,600 in Philadelphia County and $242,600 in Allegheny County, against $353,500 to $432,500 in the four Central Florida counties. Buyers leaving Bucks, Chester or Montgomery counties, where medians ran $461,900 to $538,900, usually have more room.

Price out your move before you list in Pennsylvania

Send your details and get the areas that fit, with what your budget buys in each.

Call 407-616-9019
About this data: Census figures are American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates and carry sampling error. Sale prices are Stellar MLS closed residential sales for August 2026. Tax figures come from official state sources and are general information, not tax advice. Figures are accurate as of the pull date; verify current numbers before relying on them.

The Homes In Orlando Team | Brenden Rendo, REALTOR® | NextHome Neighborhood Realty | 407-616-9019 | brenden@homesinorlando.forsale