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Philadelphia County

Pennsylvania · Upcoming sale ·

Sale dateNovember 18, 2026
Sale typedeed
PlatformBid4Assets (online, Sheriff's Office)
Pennsylvania rate / penaltyNone — deed sold at auction

County snapshot

Population (2024)1,573,916
Change since 2020-1.7%
Net migration (2024)+5,989

Philadelphia County has lost 1.7% of its population since 2020, with net migration of 5,989 in 2024. Shrinking counties are where tax liens go wrong: redemption rates fall, and the property you end up owning can be worth less than the taxes you paid on it.

By population, Philadelphia County is the 1st largest of Pennsylvania's 67 counties. It has grown more slowly than the state average (-0.1% across Pennsylvania) — often where the less contested certificates are, and also where the risk sits. Of the 2024 change, 5,989 came from people moving in and 4,645 from births outnumbering deaths.

Counties of similar size in Pennsylvania with a sale on our calendar: Montgomery County, Bucks County, Delaware County. Useful if this county's sale has already closed and you want the next comparable one.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Census population estimates. Population figures are estimates, not a count.

Property & tax profile

Median home value$243,100
Median tax / year$2,003
Tax / home value0.8%
Owned outright40.9%
“Other vacant”4.4%
Median year built1949

The median homeowner in Philadelphia County pays $2,003 a year in property tax — below the Pennsylvania median of $3,311 (U.S.: $3,119). That is roughly what a typical home here owes for each year it goes unpaid — the debt that the opening bid at a deed sale is usually built from, plus interest and costs. Homes with a mortgage pay a median of $2,208; homes owned outright, $1,744.

On a home with a mortgage, the lender has its own reason to pay a delinquent tax bill: the tax lien outranks the mortgage, and a tax deed can wipe out the loan. On a home owned outright, nobody but the owner — or the heirs — has that reason. In Philadelphia County, 40.9% of owner-occupied homes are owned outright (Pennsylvania: 42.0%, U.S.: 39.4%). About the same as the state as a whole.

9.2% of all housing units in Philadelphia County are vacant. The figure that matters for a buyer at the tax sale is the Census “other vacant” category — not for rent, not for sale, not a holiday home, but a catch-all that includes foreclosures, homes held up by legal proceedings or family reasons, homes needing repairs, and abandoned ones. Here it is 4.4% of all units (Pennsylvania: 3.8%, U.S.: 3.6%). Close to the state rate.

Half of the homes in Philadelphia County were built in or before 1949 (Pennsylvania: in or before 1965) — an older stock than the state's, which matters if a deed is what you are buying: older roofs, wiring and plumbing. The typical tax bill is 3.2% of the median household income of $61,953 (Pennsylvania: 4.2%).

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates (tables B25077, B25103, B25081, B25002, B25004, B25035, B19013) — see the figures on data.census.gov. Survey estimates with margins of error; anything too uncertain to state is left out.

Note

Sheriff sale dates listed on the Bid4Assets Philadelphia page (22/10): Nov 18, Dec 11 and Dec 16, 2026; Jan 8, Jan 20, Jan 26, Feb 17 and Mar 17, 2027. One deposit per sale date (certified check, money order or wire); 10% of the total due by 5pm ET the next business day, balance within 15 calendar days.

View official source ↗

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Quick answers

When is the Philadelphia County tax sale?+

The Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania tax sale is scheduled for November 18, 2026, hosted via Bid4Assets (online, Sheriff's Office).

Is Philadelphia County a good county to buy tax deed properties in?+

Philadelphia County has lost 1.7% of its population since 2020, with net migration of 5,989 in 2024. Shrinking counties are where tax liens go wrong: redemption rates fall, and the property you end up owning can be worth less than the taxes you paid on it. Population in 2024: 1,573,916. These are U.S. Census Bureau estimates, not a recommendation — the county's own delinquency and redemption history matters more, and only the Pennsylvania treasurer publishes that.

How much is the property tax in Philadelphia County?+

The median homeowner in Philadelphia County pays $2,003 a year, about 0.8% of the median home value of $243,100 (Pennsylvania: 1.3%). Homes with a mortgage pay a median of $2,208, homes owned outright $1,744. These are U.S. Census Bureau survey estimates (American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates); the exact bill for a parcel depends on its assessed value and local rates, and the county tax collector has it.

What type of sale is it?+

Philadelphia County holds a tax deed sale. Pennsylvania's statewide system: tax deed. What the buyer earns: none — deed sold at auction.

What's the redemption period in Philadelphia County?+

Philadelphia County follows Pennsylvania's statewide redemption period: None after the sale (Philadelphia: ~9 months if occupied).

Other Pennsylvania sales near this date

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Other sales in November 2026

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Want the full statutory picture for Pennsylvania, not just Philadelphia County? Read the Pennsylvania state page for the rate, redemption period, and every other county we've sourced, or compare it with tax lien interest rates in every state. If a past sale left money over, how surplus funds are claimed in Pennsylvania.

Before you bid: how to research a tax sale property, what a tax lien or deed really costs and the risks investors run.

See every other scheduled sale on the full auction calendar, every sale in November 2026, the upcoming Pennsylvania sales, or sign up for deal alerts to hear about new Pennsylvania dates as soon as we add them.

This page is general information, not financial or legal advice. Auction dates get postponed, cancelled, or rescheduled — always confirm against the official source above before showing up or bidding. Verified 2026-10-22.