Photo: takomabibelot · CC BY 2.0Arnold spent more per resident in 2022 than 84% of similar cities
Arnold’s city government spent $5.9 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $1,221 per resident.
What stands out about how Arnold is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,221 per resident in 2022: more than 84% of them
Arnold’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,221 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 290 Pennsylvania cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $856, and the middle half spent $655–$1,093. Arnold spent more than 84% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($2.4 million), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Pennsylvania cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Arnold itself left out).
About $1,221 per resident a year, or $3.35 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 41%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Arnold reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $1,673 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.94% of the home’s value, vs 1.30% across Pennsylvania.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Arnold’s rate.
Can I afford it? →The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate.
Tax bills are one input to Arnold’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Arnold →
Who’s in charge in Arnold
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Arnold’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on sites.google.com/a/cityofarnoldpa.org/city-of-arnold-pa ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 252 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (4,790).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
New Kensington-Arnold School District
Arnold’s K–12 school district, shared with New Kensington. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $18,477 per pupil, $11,744 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.
Pennsylvania districts overall: 55% local, 37% state, 8% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Arnold’s votes are counted by county
Pennsylvania reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Arnold alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Westmoreland County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican63.8%135,008 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat35.4%74,904 votesOthers: 0.7% (1,538 votes).
Most votes in Westmoreland County: Donald J Trump
Pennsylvania: Trump 50.4%, Harris 48.7%
100% of Arnold lies in Westmoreland County. Every 2024 race in Westmoreland County is on the county’s page.
Westmoreland County’s 2024 results →Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.
Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for Arnold.
- 1Your cityMayor & council
- 2Pennsylvania HouseState representatives
- 3Pennsylvania SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Pennsylvania
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Arnold compares with the towns next door
Arnold spent $1,221 per resident in 2022; the 2 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $708 to $842. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| New Kensington | $708 | $2,233 |
| East Deer Township | $842 | $1,620 |
| Arnold | $1,221 | $1,673 |
Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).
Reach Arnold’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Arnold’s government
How much does Arnold spend per resident?
About $1,221 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,221 was more than 84% of 290 Pennsylvania cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Arnold?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,673 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.94% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.30% across Pennsylvania. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see sites.google.com/a/cityofarnoldpa.org/city-of-arnold-pa.
Who runs Arnold’s government?
See sites.google.com/a/cityofarnoldpa.org/city-of-arnold-pa for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Arnold yet.
How did Arnold vote in 2024?
Pennsylvania counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Arnold alone. Westmoreland County, where 100% of Arnold lies, voted Trump 63.8%, Harris 35.4% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Arnold?
19 full-time and 13 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $129,866 (about $1.6M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Arnold in the state legislature?
State Senate District 41 (Joe Pittman) and State House District 55 (Jill Cooper). The House district also covers 14 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Arnold’s government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →