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Pennsylvania · Greater Philadelphia · #116 Most Populous County in the US
Delaware County, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia's closest western suburb - from the courthouse borough of Media and the dense urban township of Upper Darby to Chester's waterfront and the storied communities along the SEPTA Media/Elwyn Line. Property tax, courts, public records, and senior services for Delaware County residents.
Affiliate disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you use them, at no extra cost to you. Our editorial recommendations are independent of these relationships.
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Delaware County's assessment ratio means effective tax rates are low — but incorrect appraisals still cost money. Ownwell manages the appeal with no upfront cost.
Office: Delaware County Emergency Services – 360 North Middletown Road, Middletown Township, PA | (610) 565-8700
Services: Serves 575,000 residents, 65 fire departments, and 42 police departments through the Divisions of Emergency Management, Special Operations Group, and Emergency Communications; supervises the county Hazardous Materials Response Team and handles SARA Title III/PA Act 165 hazardous materials reporting; recently completed an early, under-budget modernization of the county’s emergency telecommunications system (EF Johnson Technologies), enabling more secure cross-agency radio communication
Roads: I-95, US-1, and US-322 serve Media, the county seat, in southeastern Pennsylvania along the Delaware River
Transit: SEPTA provides regional rail and bus service throughout Delaware County – confirm current routes directly.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: No single countywide building department – permits are issued at the MUNICIPAL level across the county’s 49 municipalities
Notes: Confirm the correct jurisdiction for your specific municipality.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
County VSO: Delaware County Veterans Affairs Office – Media, PA
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Delaware County Library System (DCLS) – a federated system providing support services for 26 independent public libraries and 4 associate libraries
Main Branch: DCLS Administrative Office – 340 N Middletown Rd, Bldg 19, Media, PA 19063 | (610) 891-8622 | Hours: Mon–Fri 8:30 AM–4:30 PM (closed Sat/Sun)
Services: Serves roughly 550,000 residents; circulates over 2.1 million items annually from 1.4 million+ volumes; operates the DCLS Digital Library for electronic resources
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Delaware County is genuinely home to BRANDYWINE BATTLEFIELD PARK in Chadds Ford, the primary preserved site of the Battle of Brandywine (September 11, 1777) – the largest single-day land battle of the entire American Revolution, involving nearly 30,000 combatants (roughly 15,500 Americans under George Washington against 16,500 British and Hessian troops under General Sir William Howe); Washington positioned his army along Brandywine Creek expecting Howe to attack directly across Chadds Ford, but Howe instead executed a wide flanking maneuver that outmaneuvered the American defense, leading to a clear British victory that opened the road to Philadelphia, the fledgling nation’s capital, which fell to British occupation two weeks later; the battle was also notable as the first combat experience for the young Marquis de Lafayette, who was shot through the calf while rallying retreating American troops – Washington dispatched a young officer named James Monroe, who spoke French, to check on the wounded Lafayette before he was sent to recover at a hospital in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania; today’s 52-acre state historic park, owned and operated by the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission, preserves the Benjamin Ring House, believed to have served as Washington’s headquarters during the battle, and the Gideon Gilpin House, where Lafayette stayed before the fighting began; the site’s preservation traces back to local historian Christian Sanderson, who spent years promoting the home’s historical significance to visitors before his wish for it to become a state park was fulfilled in 1952; the park features a visitor center, an orientation film, guided tours of the historic homes, and living history programming, and sits along the broader Brandywine Battlefield Trail connecting related sites across both Delaware and neighboring Chester County
Notes: Brandywine Battlefield Park’s genuine, extensively documented status as the primary preserved site of the largest single-day battle of the Revolutionary War – including Washington’s actual headquarters and Lafayette’s first battlefield wound – is one of the most historically significant landmarks in this entire project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Delaware County GIS – accessible via delcopa.gov
Parcel Search: Delaware County Assessment Office
Addressing/911: Coordinated through Delaware County Emergency Services
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Facility: Providence Animal Center (formerly Delaware County SPCA) – 555 Sandy Bank Rd, Media, PA 19063 | (610) 566-4575 | Hours: Tue–Fri 12–7 PM, Sat–Sun 12–5 PM (closed Mon)
Services: A 501(c)(3) nonprofit (formally the Delaware County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, chartered 1971) offering cat and dog adoptions, humane investigations, behavioral services, and low-cost veterinary care including spay/neuter and dental procedures; became a no-kill organization in 2012; adoptions are first-come, first-served and typically same-day; NOT affiliated with any government agency, funded entirely through private donations
Related: Delaware County Animal Control – PO Box 169, Darby, PA; some municipalities (e.g., Middletown Township, Radnor) also maintain their own local animal control contacts – confirm the correct resource for your specific area.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Environmental Complaints: Delaware County Health Department Environmental Health Division and PA DEP – dep.pa.gov
Notes: Delaware County recently earned a nearly $5 million grant to create a countywide composting facility and permanent household hazardous waste facility.
NOTES
Delaware County is genuinely home to Brandywine Battlefield Park, the primary preserved site of the largest single-day battle of the American Revolution, including George Washington’s actual wartime headquarters. All contact information above was sourced from official county, city, library, and shelter pages as of this writing; phone numbers and hours should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit.
About Delaware County
Delaware County is Pennsylvania’s fifth most populous county and the 116th most populous in the United States, covering 184 square miles of Philadelphia’s immediate western suburbs – one of the most densely settled counties in Pennsylvania outside of Philadelphia itself.
Media (the county seat, population ~6,000) is a small borough with a lively downtown and the distinction of being one of the few American communities to maintain an active trolley line – the SEPTA Route 101 trolley runs directly into Media’s State Street, which anchors a walkable commercial district unusual for a county seat of this scale.
Upper Darby (population ~82,000) is Delaware County’s largest municipality and one of the most diverse townships in Pennsylvania – a dense, urban-feeling community on the Philadelphia border served by multiple SEPTA El and trolley lines. Its diversity reflects decades of immigrant settlement waves.
Chester (population ~34,000) is Delaware County’s only city – a former industrial powerhouse on the Delaware River that has faced severe economic decline since the mid-20th century but has potential as a waterfront redevelopment site. Subaru Park, home of the Philadelphia Union MLS team, sits on Chester’s waterfront and has driven surrounding development interest.
Haverford Township and Springfield Township anchor the county’s middle-tier residential communities – established post-WWII suburbs with strong school districts and relatively stable property values.
Radnor Township (shared with portions of the Main Line designation) and Newtown Township represent the county’s most affluent residential communities, with significant concentrations of corporate headquarters and professional-class residents.
Villanova University (in Radnor Township) is the county’s anchor academic institution – a major Catholic research university with strong professional programs that draws national enrollment and contributes significantly to the local economy.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Delaware County uses a base year assessment system – properties are assessed at values tied to a historical base year (currently 2000) rather than current market value. The Common Level Ratio (CLR), published annually by the Pennsylvania State Tax Equalization Board (STEB), reflects the ratio of assessed to market values and is used in appeals to ensure fair comparison. When the CLR is significantly below 1.0, it indicates widespread under-assessment relative to current values – or the reverse.
The appeal process: File with the Delaware County Board of Assessment Appeals at the Government Center Building, 201 W. Front Street, Media, PA 19063. The appeal deadline is generally August 1 for the following tax year. Both property owners and taxing bodies (school districts) can file appeals – school district reverse appeals are active in Delaware County.
Homestead exemption: Pennsylvania’s Act 50 homestead exemption reduces assessed value for school district taxation for primary residences.
PA inheritance tax: Pennsylvania imposes an inheritance tax – 0% to surviving spouses, 4.5% to direct descendants, 12% to siblings, 15% to all others. Delaware County estates with significant Philadelphia-area real estate require careful beneficiary planning.
OWNWELL CTA: Delaware County base year assessment creates CLR-based appeal strategy. August 1 appeal deadline. School district reverse appeals active. PA inheritance tax 4.5% to descendants. Ownwell manages the appeal with no upfront cost.
Recommended
Delaware County base year assessment creates CLR-based appeal strategy. August 1 appeal deadline. School district reverse appeals active. PA inheritance tax 4.5% to descendants. Ownwell manages the appeal with no upfront cost.
Courts & Legal
Courts & Legal
Orphans’ Court (Probate): Pennsylvania probate is handled by the Orphans’ Court Division of the Court of Common Pleas. The Delaware County Orphans’ Court and Register of Wills are at 201 W. Front Street, Media, PA 19063, phone 610-891-4380.
Court of Common Pleas: The Delaware County Court of Common Pleas handles civil, criminal, family, and orphans’ court matters across the county.
Recorder of Deeds: The Delaware County Recorder of Deeds at 201 W. Front Street, Media, phone 610-891-4152, maintains all real property records. Land records are searchable online.
Senior Services
The Delaware County Office of Services for the Aging (COSA) at 1510 Chester Pike, Eddystone, phone 610-490-1300, serves the county’s senior population with in-home services, caregiver support, nutrition programs, transportation, and benefits counseling. The county operates senior centers across its 49 municipalities. Riddle Hospital (part of Main Line Health) and Crozer Health provide significant geriatric care.
Recommended
Assisted living, memory care, and independent living across Delaware County - from Media and Springfield to Upper Darby, Haverford, and the Chester waterfront.
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Delaware County Register of Wills, Media (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Delaware County genealogical society was confirmed in available directories.
Probate & Estate
Losing someone and having to deal with courts and paperwork at the same time is hard. This section won’t make that easier, but it should tell you what to expect, what it costs, and where to go – so at least you’re not walking in blind.
Where to go
Register of Wills, Delaware County Government Center Building, 201 West Front Street, Media, PA 19063 (610) 891-4400
Delaware County is in southeastern Pennsylvania, seated in Media – one of Pennsylvania’s most populous counties.
Step 1: figure out which path applies
Pennsylvania has NOT adopted the Uniform Probate Code. Probate runs through its own statute, the Probate, Estates and Fiduciaries (PEF) Code, Title 20 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes. Probate begins at the Register of Wills – an elected county official – in the county where the decedent lived. Routine, uncontested probate happens entirely at the Register of Wills; only disputes escalate to the Orphans’ Court Division of the Court of Common Pleas.
Small Estate Petition (20 Pa.C.S. § 3102) – available when the estate’s personal property (excluding real estate) totals $50,000 or less. This lets an interested party petition the Orphans’ Court directly for approval of a proposed distribution, skipping the need to formally open a full probate estate. Real property is never covered by this simplified process.
Formal Probate – required for estates exceeding $50,000 in personal property, or for any estate involving real property that needs to pass through probate. The Register of Wills validates the will (if any) and issues Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration.
Step 2: filing for administration
The personal representative files with the Register of Wills in Delaware County, along with the original will if one exists.
The Register of Wills reviews and, if in order, issues Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration.
The personal representative gathers assets, notifies heirs and known creditors, and begins settling the estate.
Pennsylvania has a one-year creditor period running from the date of death, not from any published notice.
A Pennsylvania Inheritance Tax Return (REV-1500) must be filed with the Register of Wills, regardless of estate size.
Once debts, taxes, and expenses are settled, remaining assets are distributed according to the will or Pennsylvania’s intestacy laws, and the estate is closed.
What it costs
Filing fees vary; check with Delaware County directly for current fees.
Pennsylvania has NO separate state estate tax, but its INHERITANCE TAX applies to virtually every estate: 0% to a surviving spouse (and to a parent inheriting from a child 21 or younger), 4.5% to children and other lineal descendants, 12% to siblings, and 15% to everyone else. No dollar exemption.
A 5% early-payment discount applies if paid within 3 months of death; the return and payment are otherwise due within 9 months.
Probate filings, estate administration, and guardianship matters are handled by the following office(s):
REGISTER OF WILLS
201 West Front St, Media, PA 19063
(610) 891-4400
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
201 West Front St, Media, PA 19063
(610) 891-4600
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
BUREAU OF ELECTIONS
201 West Front St, Media, PA 19063
(610) 891-4677
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Department
20 South 69th St, Upper Darby, PA 19082
(484) 276-2100
Assistance Office (DHS)
22 South 69th St, Upper Darby, PA 19082
(610) 713-4000
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Delaware County Health Department (DCHD) – Environmental Health Division, Rose Tree 1, 1400 N Providence Road, Suite 212, Media, PA 19063 | Email: [email protected]
Related: Delaware County Wellness Center – 151 W. 5th St, Chester, PA 19013, Hours: Mon–Fri 8:30 AM–4:30 PM.
Services: Immunizations, WIC, environmental health, vital records, license/permit/inspection services with online digital submission options via MuniciPAY
Editorial independence: CountyOffices maintains strict editorial independence from our affiliate partners. Our content is researched from official government sources. Affiliate relationships do not influence our recommendations or the information we publish.
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