Christiana spent more per resident in 2022 than 87% of similar cities
Christiana’s borough government spent $1.1 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $946 per resident. Water and other utilities ($761,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Christiana is run
Read from the borough’s budget and official records.
$946 per resident in 2022: more than 87% of them
Christiana’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($946 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–$724. Christiana spent more than 87% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($419,000), 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; Christiana itself left out).
About $946 per resident a year, or $2.59 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 38%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Christiana reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $4,181 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.82% 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 Christiana’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 Christiana’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Christiana →
Who’s in charge in Christiana
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Christiana’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The borough posts agendas and minutes on christianaboro.com ↗.
One full-time borough employee for every 1,165 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 (1,165).
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.
Octorara Area School District
Christiana’s K–12 school district, shared with Atglen, Highland Township, Londonderry Township, Parkesburg, Sadsbury Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $23,207 per pupil, $14,323 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.
Christiana’s votes are counted by county
Pennsylvania reports official results by county and precinct, not by borough, so there are no official results for Christiana alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Lancaster County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican57.5%166,261 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat41.5%120,119 votesOthers: 1.0% (2,877 votes).
Most votes in Lancaster County: Donald J Trump
Pennsylvania: Trump 50.4%, Harris 48.7%
100% of Christiana lies in Lancaster County. Every 2024 race in Lancaster County is on the county’s page.
Lancaster 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 Christiana.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: christianaboro.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 Christiana compares with the towns next door
Christiana spent $946 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Sadsbury Township | $311 | $6,422 |
| West Sadsbury Township | $565 | $5,519 |
| Christiana | $946 | $4,181 |
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 Christiana’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Christiana’s government
How much does Christiana spend per resident?
About $946 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 $946 was more than 87% of 574 Pennsylvania cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Christiana?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $4,181 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.82% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.30% across Pennsylvania. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see christianaboro.com.
Who runs Christiana’s government?
See christianaboro.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Christiana yet.
How did Christiana vote in 2024?
Pennsylvania counts votes by county and precinct, not by borough, so there are no official results for Christiana alone. Lancaster County, where 100% of Christiana lies, voted Trump 57.5%, Harris 41.5% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Christiana?
1 full-time and 15 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $11,907 (about $142,884 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Christiana in the state legislature?
State Senate District 13 (Scott Martin) and State House District 100 (Bryan Cutler). The House district also covers 15 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Christiana’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 →