Photo: Unknown photographer · Public domainBerwick spent less per resident in 2022 than 76% of similar cities
Berwick’s borough government spent $6.4 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $648 per resident.
What stands out about how Berwick is run
Read from the borough’s budget and official records.
$648 per resident in 2022: less than 76% of them
Berwick’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($648 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 $858, and the middle half spent $663–$1,098. Berwick spent less than 76% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($855,000), 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; Berwick itself left out).
About $648 per resident a year, or $1.78 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 26%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Berwick reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $1,813 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.16% 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 Berwick’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 Berwick’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Berwick →
Who’s in charge in Berwick
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time borough employee for every 308 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (9,855).
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.
Berwick Area School District
Berwick’s K–12 school district, shared with Briar Creek, Briar Creek Township, Hollenback Township, Nescopeck, Nescopeck Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $17,449 per pupil, $11,135 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.
Berwick’s votes are counted by county
Pennsylvania reports official results by county and precinct, not by borough, so there are no official results for Berwick alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Columbia County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican65.0%21,190 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat34.0%11,083 votesOthers: 0.9% (303 votes).
Most votes in Columbia County: Donald J Trump
Pennsylvania: Trump 50.4%, Harris 48.7%
100% of Berwick lies in Columbia County. Every 2024 race in Columbia County is on the county’s page.
Columbia 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 Berwick.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 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 Berwick compares with the towns next door
Berwick spent $648 per resident in 2022. Most of its neighbors are townships, a different kind of government, so the like-for-like comparison is with similar cities, above. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Mifflin Township | $308 | $2,722 |
| Briar Creek | $338 | $1,288 |
| Briar Creek Township | $420 | $1,882 |
| Berwick | $648 | $1,813 |
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 Berwick’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Berwick’s government
How much does Berwick spend per resident?
About $648 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 $648 was less than 76% of 290 Pennsylvania cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Berwick?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,813 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.16% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.30% across Pennsylvania. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the borough’s assessor.
Who runs Berwick’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Berwick yet.
How did Berwick vote in 2024?
Pennsylvania counts votes by county and precinct, not by borough, so there are no official results for Berwick alone. Columbia County, where 100% of Berwick lies, voted Trump 65.0%, Harris 34.0% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Berwick?
32 full-time and 4 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $189,767 (about $2.3M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Berwick in the state legislature?
State Senate District 27 (Lynda Culver) and State House District 109 (Robert Leadbeter). The House district also covers 32 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Berwick’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 →