Lehigh County closing costs
The county-specific transfer tax and deed recording fees for Lehigh County, Pennsylvania - the local details that change your total beyond the statewide rate.
- Effective transfer tax
- 1%
- ≈ $4,000 on a $400,000 home
- City transfer tax
- 1.5%
- where the city levies its own
- Typical lender + 3rd-party fees
- $7,110
- median of 2,804 purchase loans · HMDA 2023
Transfer tax in Lehigh County
Pennsylvania levies NO county-level realty transfer tax. The PA state realty transfer tax is 1% of consideration. Local realty transfer tax (split between the municipality and the school district) is levied on top of the state 1%. In most of Lehigh County the local rate is 1% (0.5% municipality + 0.5% school) for a 2% combined total. In the City of Allentown, effective January 1, 2026, the local portion increased to 1.5% (city portion raised from 1% to 1.5% by City Council vote on Dec 3, 2025), bringing the Allentown combined total to 2.5% (1% state + 1.5% local). The city_transfer_tax_rate field reflects Allentown's local (municipality+school) portion = 1.5% = 0.015. By PA custom, realty transfer tax is typically split 50/50 between buyer and seller (negotiable in the sales contract). Recording fees are customarily paid by the buyer.
Recording fees in Lehigh County
Deed (all types): $80.25 base fee, which includes a maximum of 4 pages, 4 names, and 1 PIN certification. Additional page: $2.00 each; additional name: $0.50 each; additional PIN: $10.00 each. (Lehigh County Recorder of Deeds Fee Schedule, effective 12/1/2025.) Mortgage: $81.25; Satisfaction piece: $71.75. eRecording available via Simplifile, CSC, ePN.
Official recorder: Lehigh County recorder ↗ — the authoritative source for the current recording fee schedule.
What lenders actually charge in Lehigh County
Across 2,804 home-purchase mortgages originated in Lehigh County in 2023, the median total loan costs — lender fees plus third-party services such as appraisal and title, excluding prepaids and escrow — were $7,110, of which about $2,898 was the lender’s own origination charges. That is reported loan-level data from every lender under the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act — not a national average — so it reflects what buyers in this county actually paid. Lender fees vary widely, so comparing a few rate quotes is the single biggest lever on your closing total.
Source: FFIEC HMDA Data Browser ↗ (2023 purchase originations, FIPS 42077, ODC-BY 1.0). Median total loan costs exclude prepaids and escrow.
Estimate your Lehigh County closing costs
Pre-set to Pennsylvania. County-level taxes above may add to this estimate.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the transfer tax in Lehigh County?
Lehigh County (Pennsylvania): the applicable real-estate transfer tax works out to about 1%, before any additional city tax. Pennsylvania levies NO county-level realty transfer tax. The PA state realty transfer tax is 1% of consideration. Local realty transfer tax (split between the municipality and the school district) is levied on top of the state 1%. In most of Lehigh County the local rate is 1% (0.5% municipality + 0.5% school) for a 2% combined total. In the City of Allentown, effective January 1, 2026, the local portion increased to 1.5% (city portion raised from 1% to 1.5% by City Council vote on Dec 3, 2025), bringing the Allentown combined total to 2.5% (1% state + 1.5% local). The city_transfer_tax_rate field reflects Allentown's local (municipality+school) portion = 1.5% = 0.015. By PA custom, realty transfer tax is typically split 50/50 between buyer and seller (negotiable in the sales contract). Recording fees are customarily paid by the buyer.
What are recording fees in Lehigh County?
Deed (all types): $80.25 base fee, which includes a maximum of 4 pages, 4 names, and 1 PIN certification. Additional page: $2.00 each; additional name: $0.50 each; additional PIN: $10.00 each. (Lehigh County Recorder of Deeds Fee Schedule, effective 12/1/2025.) Mortgage: $81.25; Satisfaction piece: $71.75. eRecording available via Simplifile, CSC, ePN.
How much are closing costs in Lehigh County?
Closing costs in Lehigh County follow Pennsylvania's structure plus this county's specific transfer-tax and recording fees. Use the calculator below for an estimate; for the exact recording schedule, the county recorder is the authoritative source.
What do lenders charge in fees in Lehigh County?
In 2023, the median total loan costs — lender fees plus third-party services like appraisal and title, excluding prepaids and escrow — across 2,804 home-purchase mortgages in Lehigh County were about $7,110, of which roughly $2,898 was the lender's own origination charges. This is reported loan-level data under the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act; actual fees vary by lender, so comparing quotes matters.
Other Pennsylvania county records
Records are listed alphabetically; check each property’s municipality. Partial baselines are not a ranking of complete local taxes.