Photo: Doug Kerr · CC BY-SA 2.0Bethany spent less per resident in 2022 than 91% of similar cities
Bethany’s borough government spent $44,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $198 per resident.
What stands out about how Bethany is run
Read from the borough’s budget and official records.
$198 per resident in 2022: less than 91% of them
Bethany’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($198 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 $484, and the middle half spent $301–$726. Bethany spent less than 91% of 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; Bethany itself left out).
About $198 per resident a year, or $0.54 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 48%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Revenue is well above spending. That usually means Bethany collects property taxes for the school district and county and passes them on, so only its own spending is counted.
No trend yet
Bethany reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $3,225 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.36% 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 Bethany’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 Bethany’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Bethany →
Who’s in charge in Bethany
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Bethany’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The borough posts agendas and minutes on shepstone.net/Bethany.html ↗.
Wayne Highlands School District
Bethany’s K–12 school district, shared with Berlin Township, Buckingham Township, Cherry Ridge Township, Damascus Township, Dyberry Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $24,051 per pupil, $14,984 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.
Bethany’s votes are counted by county
Pennsylvania reports official results by county and precinct, not by borough, so there are no official results for Bethany alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Wayne County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican68.2%20,071 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat31.1%9,150 votesOthers: 0.8% (223 votes).
Most votes in Wayne County: Donald J Trump
Pennsylvania: Trump 50.4%, Harris 48.7%
100% of Bethany lies in Wayne County. Every 2024 race in Wayne County is on the county’s page.
Wayne 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 Bethany.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: shepstone.net/Bethany.html ↗
- 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 Bethany’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Bethany’s government
How much does Bethany spend per resident?
About $198 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 $198 was less than 91% of 574 Pennsylvania cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Bethany?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,225 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.36% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.30% across Pennsylvania. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see shepstone.net/Bethany.html.
Who runs Bethany’s government?
See shepstone.net/Bethany.html for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Bethany yet.
How did Bethany vote in 2024?
Pennsylvania counts votes by county and precinct, not by borough, so there are no official results for Bethany alone. Wayne County, where 100% of Bethany lies, voted Trump 68.2%, Harris 31.1% for president; its page has every race.
Who represents Bethany in the state legislature?
State Senate District 20 (Lisa Baker) and State House District 111 (Jonathan Fritz). The House district also covers 57 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Bethany’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 →