Photo: Doug Kerr · CC BY-SA 2.0Carlisle spent more per resident in 2022 than 65% of similar cities
Carlisle’s borough government spent $20.9 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $1,086 per resident. Water and other utilities ($3 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Carlisle is run
Read from the borough’s budget and official records.
Who’s in charge in Carlisle
From public records with a current term; a name is hidden the day its term ends.
Council members and agencies: carlislepa.org ↗
Carlisle’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The borough posts agendas and minutes on carlislepa.org ↗.
About $1,086 per resident a year, or $2.98 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 30%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,086 per resident in 2022: more than 65% of them
Carlisle’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,086 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 43 Pennsylvania cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $986, and the middle half spent $812–$1,266. Carlisle spent more than 65% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($6.3 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 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Carlisle itself left out).
No trend yet
Carlisle reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $3,444 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.54% 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 Carlisle’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 Carlisle’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Carlisle →
One full-time borough employee for every 190 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 (19,213).
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.
Carlisle Area School District
Carlisle’s K–12 school district, shared with Dickinson Township, Mount Holly Springs, North Middleton Township. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $16,663 per pupil, $9,726 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.
Carlisle’s votes are counted by county
Pennsylvania reports official results by county and precinct, not by borough, so there are no official results for Carlisle alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Cumberland County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican54.1%80,267 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat44.6%66,255 votesOthers: 1.3% (1,874 votes).
Most votes in Cumberland County: Donald J Trump
Pennsylvania: Trump 50.4%, Harris 48.7%
100% of Carlisle lies in Cumberland County. Every 2024 race in Cumberland County is on the county’s page.
Cumberland 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 Carlisle.
- 1Your cityMayorSean Shultzas listed by Open States, October 9, 2026
- 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 Carlisle compares with the towns next door
Carlisle spent $1,086 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 |
|---|---|---|
| West Pennsboro Township | $300 | $3,640 |
| North Middleton Township | $340 | $3,547 |
| South Middleton Township | $475 | $2,912 |
| Carlisle | $1,086 | $3,444 |
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 Carlisle’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Carlisle’s government
How much does Carlisle spend per resident?
About $1,086 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 $1,086 was more than 65% of 43 Pennsylvania cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Carlisle?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,444 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.54% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.30% across Pennsylvania. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see carlislepa.org.
Who is the mayor of Carlisle?
Sean Shultz, as listed by Open States (checked October 9, 2026). The council and agencies are listed on carlislepa.org.
How did Carlisle vote in 2024?
Pennsylvania counts votes by county and precinct, not by borough, so there are no official results for Carlisle alone. Cumberland County, where 100% of Carlisle lies, voted Trump 54.1%, Harris 44.6% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Carlisle?
101 full-time and 16 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $628,959 (about $7.5M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Carlisle in the state legislature?
State Senate District 34 (Greg Rothman) and State House District 199 (Barb Gleim). The House district also covers 12 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Carlisle’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 →