Local costs · Pennsylvania
What it costs to own a home in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania
The real property-tax rate, risk-adjusted insurance, and honest closing costs for Westmoreland County — with the all-in monthly cost of a county-median-priced home and the income it takes to carry it comfortably.
The headline numbers
US Census, ACS 2024 5-year
Run these numbers with your income →
The “median home” here is the Westmoreland County median owner-occupied value ($203,500, US Census ACS B25077, ACS 2024 5-year). The all-in monthly uses the real-life basis: loan payment $1,047, property tax $208, insurance $61, maintenance $170 (1%/yr rule of thumb), and utilities $275 (a placeholder, not yet sourced). With 20% down there is no mortgage insurance.
Local risk flags
From the FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025). Covered perils show up as insurance-premium pressure; flood and earthquake are called out because a standard policy excludes them.
Elevated wind risk here can nudge premiums above the state average.
Notable flood risk — standard policies don't cover flood; check the address's flood zone and consider a separate policy.
Closing costs, in detail
Total transfer/recording tax $4,070: buyer's customary share $2,035, seller's customary share $2,035. Pennsylvania realty transfer tax: $2,035 (split 50/50); Local realty transfer tax (typical): $2,035 (split 50/50, estimated). Includes a labeled estimate (rate not fully verified).
- Transfer & recording tax
- On the $203,500 median home, the buyer’s customary share is about $2,035, with roughly $2,035 customarily paid by the seller. Only the buyer’s share is counted in the closing-cost estimate above.
- Title insurance & settlement
- Pennsylvania uses competitive (filed) rates. Estimated $1,585–$2,145 on this home. Modeled title insurance + settlement (national declining-rate curve, ~0.92% of price at this level; PA cost factor 1.15 -- TIRBOP all-inclusive rate structure (premium includes search, exam, settlement)). Not a state-promulgated rate.
- Lender and origination
- $814–$1,628. Modeled as 0.5-1.0% of loan amount.
- Appraisal, inspection, and reports
- $900–$1,800. Flat buyer-paid diligence estimate.
- Prepaids and escrow
- $1,016–$1,555. Initial escrow deposit for taxes and insurance.
Frequently asked
- What is the property tax rate in Westmoreland County, PA?
- The effective property tax rate in Westmoreland County is 1.23% of home value per year (US Census, ACS 2024 5-year). That is lower than the Pennsylvania average of 1.26% and higher than the national average of 0.92%.
- How much is homeowners insurance in Westmoreland County?
- A typical homeowners policy runs about $730 per year (range $470–$1,060) at the Westmoreland County median home value of $203,500. This is a county-adjusted estimate scaled from the NAIC state average; a real quote depends on the home and coverage.
- What are typical closing costs on a $203,500 home in Westmoreland County?
- Estimated buyer closing costs run about $6,450–$9,563 on a $203,500 home — lender fees, title and settlement, the buyer's customary share of transfer and recording taxes, and prepaid taxes and insurance.
- What income do you need to afford the median home in Westmoreland County?
- A household income of about $92,390 per year makes the $203,500 median home here comfortable by our math — housing under about 28% of take-home pay with room left for everyday spending, assuming 20% down at this week's 6.67% 30-year rate.
- What is the all-in monthly cost of the median home in Westmoreland County?
- About $1,761 per month for the $203,500 median home with 20% down at 6.67% — the loan payment, property tax, home insurance, maintenance, and an estimated utilities figure.
Run your own numbers
These figures use the area median and a 20%-down example. Put in your own price, down payment, income, and debts to see whether it’s comfortable for you.
Open the calculator for Westmoreland CountyMore counties in Pennsylvania
Sources & vintages
- Property tax: US Census American Community Survey, county effective rate (ACS 2024 5-year).
- Home insurance: NAIC state average premium (2022 · FEMA NRI December 2025), scaled by FEMA National Risk Index covered-peril risk; range modeled.
- Median home value: US Census ACS B25077, Westmoreland County median owner-occupied value (ACS 2024 5-year).
- Mortgage rate: Freddie Mac 30-year fixed weekly average via FRED, as of 2026-08-13.
- Transfer taxes & title: researched state/local schedules. The everyday-spending baseline ships from the BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey (2024), income-scaled; utilities is the one remaining labeled placeholder.
Estimates, not advice, and not a Loan Estimate. Every number is computed from public data or our own math — see the methodology for how, and where the honest gaps are.