Jacob Jr. Ehrenhardt House · Photo: Smallbones · CC0Emmaus spent more per resident in 2022 than 74% of similar cities
Emmaus’ borough government spent $14.5 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $1,266 per resident. Water and other utilities ($1.1 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Emmaus is run
Read from the borough’s budget and official records.
$1,266 per resident in 2022: more than 74% of them
Emmaus’ day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,266 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–$1,264. Emmaus spent more than 74% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($2.4 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; Emmaus itself left out).
About $1,266 per resident a year, or $3.47 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 18%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Emmaus reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $4,335 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.63% 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 Emmaus’ 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 Emmaus’ Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Emmaus →
Who’s in charge in Emmaus
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Emmaus’ meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The borough posts agendas and minutes on borough.emmaus.pa.us ↗.
One full-time borough employee for every 225 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 (11,493).
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.
East Penn School District
Emmaus’ K–12 school district, shared with Alburtis, Lower Macungie Township, Macungie, Upper Milford Township. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $18,443 per pupil, $11,925 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.
Emmaus’ votes are counted by county
Pennsylvania reports official results by county and precinct, not by borough, so there are no official results for Emmaus alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Lehigh County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat50.7%96,317 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican48.1%91,207 votesOthers: 1.2% (2,286 votes).
Most votes in Lehigh County: Kamala D Harris
Pennsylvania: Trump 50.4%, Harris 48.7%
100% of Emmaus lies in Lehigh County. Every 2024 race in Lehigh County is on the county’s page.
Lehigh 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 Emmaus.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: borough.emmaus.pa.us ↗
- 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 Emmaus compares with the towns next door
Emmaus spent $1,266 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Upper Milford Township | $369 | $5,835 |
| Lower Macungie Township | $550 | $5,817 |
| Salisbury Township | $977 | $4,940 |
| Allentown | $1,433 | $3,829 |
| Emmaus | $1,266 | $4,335 |
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 Emmaus’ government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Emmaus’ government
How much does Emmaus spend per resident?
About $1,266 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 $1,266 was more than 74% of 43 Pennsylvania cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Emmaus?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $4,335 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.63% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.30% across Pennsylvania. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see borough.emmaus.pa.us.
Who runs Emmaus’ government?
See borough.emmaus.pa.us for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Emmaus yet.
How did Emmaus vote in 2024?
Pennsylvania counts votes by county and precinct, not by borough, so there are no official results for Emmaus alone. Lehigh County, where 100% of Emmaus lies, voted Harris 50.7%, Trump 48.1% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Emmaus?
51 full-time and 33 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $406,333 (about $4.9M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Emmaus in the state legislature?
State Senate District 14 (Nick Miller) and State House District 134 (Pete Schweyer). The House district also covers parts of two neighboring towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Emmaus’ 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 →