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Second Avenue Elizabeth PaPhoto: Canadian2006 · CC BY-SA 3.0
Town Hall · Elizabeth

Elizabeth spent more per resident in 2022 than 67% of similar cities

Elizabeth’s borough government spent $936,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $632 per resident.

Town website
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$936,000
year to December 31, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$632
In 2022: $632, more than 67% of 574 similar cities
Long-term debt
$261,000
end of 2022, reported
Borough staff, 2022
3
full-time · 11 part-time · March payroll $21,646
Typical tax bill
$1,922
1.77% of home value · PA 1.30%

What stands out about how Elizabeth is run

Read from the borough’s budget and official records.

Compared with similar places

$632 per resident in 2022: more than 67% of them

Elizabeth’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($632 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–$726. Elizabeth spent more than 67% of them.

Middle half of the group, $300–$726Median $483Elizabeth

Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →

The group
574

Pennsylvania cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Elizabeth itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $632 per resident a year, or $1.73 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 35%.

Where the money comes from
Property taxes 47%Income taxes 15%From the state 9%From the federal government 8%Other taxes & licenses 7%From other local governments 7%Fees & charges 4%Interest, fines & other 3%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $30,000; interest on debt $17,000. With these, the whole budget was $983,000.
Over the years

No trend yet

Elizabeth reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $1,922 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.77% of the home’s value, vs 1.30% across Pennsylvania.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Jefferson Hills$4,605
Blaine Hill$4,117
Elizabeth Township$3,695
Pennsylvania$3,311
Forward Township$2,825
Elizabeth$1,922
West Elizabeth$1,734
$1,922
typical bill a year
1.77%
effective rate
$108,300
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Elizabeth’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 Elizabeth’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Elizabeth →

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Elizabeth

Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.

See elizabethpa.net for Elizabeth’s current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Elizabeth yet.elizabethpa.net ↗
Agendas

Elizabeth’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The borough posts agendas and minutes on elizabethpa.net ↗.

Who works for Elizabeth

One full-time borough employee for every 493 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 (1,480).

By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022

Police1 + 10 pt
Roads & transportation2
Other0 + 1 pt
3
full-time
11
part-time
$21,646
payroll for March 2022
$259,752
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$45,500
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
1
sworn police officers
Compared, 2022.Elizabeth had 2.0 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 379 of the 574 Pennsylvania cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 1.0: Elizabeth had more than 61% of them. Same group and year as the budget comparison.

The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.

The school district

Elizabeth Forward School District

Elizabeth’s K–12 school district, shared with Elizabeth Township, Forward Township. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Elizabeth →
$19,203
per pupil · PA $21,758
2,325
students
$42.3 million
long-term debt

Of the $19,203 per pupil, $11,309 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.

The district: schools, scores and graduation →

Where the district’s money comes from
Local 52%State 44%Federal 4%

Pennsylvania districts overall: 55% local, 37% state, 8% federal.

School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.

Elections · 2024 general election

Elizabeth’s votes are counted by county

Pennsylvania reports official results by county and precinct, not by borough, so there are no official results for Elizabeth alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Allegheny County’s results.

President · Allegheny County’s results720,504 votes · results as certified
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat59.7%429,916 votes
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican39.4%283,595 votes

Others: 1.0% (6,993 votes).

Most votes in Allegheny County: Kamala D Harris

Pennsylvania: Trump 50.4%, Harris 48.7%

The county’s page

100% of Elizabeth lies in Allegheny County. Every 2024 race in Allegheny County is on the county’s page.

Allegheny County’s 2024 results →
DemocratRepublicanLibertarianIndependent / other

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.

Who represents Elizabeth

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Elizabeth.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
  2. 2
    Pennsylvania HouseState representatives
  3. 3
    Pennsylvania SenateState senator
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Pennsylvania

Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.

Next door

How Elizabeth compares with the towns next door

Elizabeth spent $632 per resident in 2022; the 4 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $748 to $1,314. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.

Spends the leastSpends the mostEstimate or no figures
TownDay-to-day, per resident (2022)Tax bill
Elizabeth Township$748$3,695
West Elizabeth$773$1,734
Forward Township$882$2,825
Jefferson Hills$1,314$4,605
Elizabeth$632$1,922

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 Elizabeth’s government

The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Elizabeth’s government

How much does Elizabeth spend per resident?

About $632 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 $632 was more than 67% of 574 Pennsylvania cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Elizabeth?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,922 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.77% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.30% across Pennsylvania. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see elizabethpa.net.

Who runs Elizabeth’s government?

See elizabethpa.net for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Elizabeth yet.

How did Elizabeth vote in 2024?

Pennsylvania counts votes by county and precinct, not by borough, so there are no official results for Elizabeth alone. Allegheny County, where 100% of Elizabeth lies, voted Harris 59.7%, Trump 39.4% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Elizabeth?

3 full-time and 11 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $21,646 (about $259,752 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Elizabeth in the state legislature?

State Senate District 45 (Nick Pisciottano) and State House District 39 (Andrew Kuzma). The House district also covers 11 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Elizabeth’s government

Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.

Town Square →
Ask neighbors

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 →