Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0Brownsville spent less per resident in 2022 than 75% of similar cities
Brownsville’s borough government spent $664,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $301 per resident.
What stands out about how Brownsville is run
Read from the borough’s budget and official records.
$301 per resident in 2022: less than 75% of them
Brownsville’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($301 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 $300–$726. Brownsville spent less than 75% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($8,000), 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; Brownsville itself left out).
About $301 per resident a year, or $0.82 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 30%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Brownsville reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $1,321 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.90% 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 Brownsville’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 Brownsville’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Brownsville →
Who’s in charge in Brownsville
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Brownsville’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The borough posts agendas and minutes on brownsvilleboro.com ↗.
One full-time borough employee for every 367 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 (2,203).
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.
Brownsville Area School District
Brownsville’s K–12 school district, shared with Brownsville Township, Luzerne Township, Redstone Township, West Brownsville. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $18,748 per pupil, $10,630 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.
Brownsville’s votes are counted by county
Pennsylvania reports official results by county and precinct, not by borough, so there are no official results for Brownsville alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Fayette County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican68.7%43,633 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat30.8%19,548 votesOthers: 0.5% (291 votes).
Most votes in Fayette County: Donald J Trump
Pennsylvania: Trump 50.4%, Harris 48.7%
100% of Brownsville lies in Fayette County. Every 2024 race in Fayette County is on the county’s page.
Fayette 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 Brownsville.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: brownsvilleboro.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.
How Brownsville compares with the towns next door
Brownsville spent $301 per resident in 2022; the 4 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $219 to $532. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Brownsville Township | $219 | $1,120 |
| Luzerne Township | $256 | $1,508 |
| West Brownsville | $483 | $830 |
| Centerville | $532 | $1,404 |
| Brownsville | $301 | $1,321 |
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 Brownsville’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Brownsville’s government
How much does Brownsville spend per resident?
About $301 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 $301 was less than 75% of 574 Pennsylvania cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Brownsville?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,321 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.90% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.30% across Pennsylvania. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see brownsvilleboro.com.
Who runs Brownsville’s government?
See brownsvilleboro.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Brownsville yet.
How did Brownsville vote in 2024?
Pennsylvania counts votes by county and precinct, not by borough, so there are no official results for Brownsville alone. Fayette County, where 100% of Brownsville lies, voted Trump 68.7%, Harris 30.8% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Brownsville?
6 full-time and 9 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $26,343 (about $316,116 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Brownsville in the state legislature?
State Senate District 32 (Pat Stefano) and State House District 52 (Ryan Warner). The House district also covers 27 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Brownsville’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 →