Photo: Nyttend · Public domainBessemer spent more per resident in 2022 than 65% of similar cities
Bessemer’s borough government spent $647,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $619 per resident. Water and other utilities ($121,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Bessemer is run
Read from the borough’s budget and official records.
$619 per resident in 2022: more than 65% of them
Bessemer’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($619 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 574 Pennsylvania cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $483, and the middle half spent $300–$726. Bessemer spent more than 65% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($100,000), 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 under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Bessemer itself left out).
About $619 per resident a year, or $1.70 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 29%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Bessemer reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $1,437 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.17% 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 Bessemer’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. In a town this small the estimate has a wide margin.
Tax bills are one input to Bessemer’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Bessemer →
Who’s in charge in Bessemer
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Bessemer’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The borough posts agendas and minutes on bessemerpa.com ↗.
Mohawk Area School District
Bessemer’s K–12 school district, shared with Little Beaver Township, New Beaver, North Beaver Township, S.N.P.J., Mahoning Township. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $16,418 per pupil, $10,962 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.
Bessemer’s votes are counted by county
Pennsylvania reports official results by county and precinct, not by borough, so there are no official results for Bessemer alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Lawrence County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican66.5%31,347 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat32.8%15,440 votesOthers: 0.7% (323 votes).
Most votes in Lawrence County: Donald J Trump
Pennsylvania: Trump 50.4%, Harris 48.7%
100% of Bessemer lies in Lawrence County. Every 2024 race in Lawrence County is on the county’s page.
Lawrence 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 Bessemer.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: bessemerpa.com ↗
- 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.
Reach Bessemer’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Bessemer’s government
How much does Bessemer spend per resident?
About $619 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 $619 was more than 65% of 574 Pennsylvania cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Bessemer?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,437 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.17% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.30% across Pennsylvania. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see bessemerpa.com.
Who runs Bessemer’s government?
See bessemerpa.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Bessemer yet.
How did Bessemer vote in 2024?
Pennsylvania counts votes by county and precinct, not by borough, so there are no official results for Bessemer alone. Lawrence County, where 100% of Bessemer lies, voted Trump 66.5%, Harris 32.8% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Bessemer?
0 full-time and 6 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $19,574 (about $234,888 a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Bessemer in the state legislature?
State Senate District 50 (Michele Brooks) and State House District 9 (Marla Brown). The House district also covers 13 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Bessemer’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 →