Photo: Joseph E. B. Elliot · Public domainHow is Columbia run?
Columbia’s borough government spent $9.8 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $950 per resident.
About $950 per resident a year, or $2.60 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 36%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$950 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
Columbia’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($950 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 $997, and the middle half spent $812–$1,266. Columbia spent less than 56% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($40,000), 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 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Columbia itself left out).
No trend yet
Columbia reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $3,732 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 Columbia’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 Columbia’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Columbia →
Who’s in charge in Columbia
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Columbia’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The borough posts agendas and minutes on columbiapa.net ↗.
One full-time borough employee for every 219 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (10,295).
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.
Columbia Borough School District
Columbia’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $19,073 per pupil, $10,833 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.
Columbia’s votes are counted by county
Pennsylvania reports official results by county and precinct, not by borough, so there are no official results for Columbia 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 Columbia 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 Columbia.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: columbiapa.net ↗
- 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 Columbia compares with the towns next door
Columbia spent $950 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 Hempfield Township | $503 | $3,769 |
| Manor Township | $611 | $4,081 |
| Columbia | $950 | $3,732 |
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 Columbia’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Columbia’s government
How much does Columbia spend per resident?
About $950 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 $950 was less than 56% of 43 Pennsylvania cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Columbia?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,732 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 columbiapa.net.
Who runs Columbia’s government?
See columbiapa.net for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Columbia yet.
How did Columbia vote in 2024?
Pennsylvania counts votes by county and precinct, not by borough, so there are no official results for Columbia alone. Lancaster County, where 100% of Columbia lies, voted Trump 57.5%, Harris 41.5% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Columbia?
47 full-time and 36 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $355,957 (about $4.3M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Columbia in the state legislature?
State Senate District 36 (James Malone) and State House District 41 (Brett Miller). The House district also covers four other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Columbia’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 →