Photo: Doug Kerr from Albany, NY, United States · CC BY-SA 2.0Ford City spent less per resident in 2022 than 69% of similar cities
Ford City’s city government spent $1.9 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $709 per resident. Water and other utilities ($615,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Ford City is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$709 per resident in 2022: less than 69% of them
Ford City’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($709 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 290 Pennsylvania cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $858, and the middle half spent $655–$1,098. Ford City spent less than 69% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($331,000), 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 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Ford City itself left out).
About $709 per resident a year, or $1.94 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 21%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Ford City reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $1,946 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 2.31% 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 Ford City’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 Ford City’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Ford City →
Who’s in charge in Ford City
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time city employee for every 391 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 (2,735).
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.
Armstrong School District
Ford City’s K–12 school district, shared with Applewold, Atwood, Boggs Township, Burrell Township, Cadogan Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $19,947 per pupil, $13,157 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.
Ford City’s votes are counted by county
Pennsylvania reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Ford City alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Armstrong County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican76.2%28,296 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat23.0%8,553 votesOthers: 0.7% (270 votes).
Most votes in Armstrong County: Donald J Trump
Pennsylvania: Trump 50.4%, Harris 48.7%
100% of Ford City lies in Armstrong County. Every 2024 race in Armstrong County is on the county’s page.
Armstrong 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 Ford City.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 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 Ford City compares with the towns next door
Ford City spent $709 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Ford Cliff | $199 | $1,802 |
| North Buffalo Township | $330 | $2,271 |
| Manor Township | $368 | $2,136 |
| Ford City | $709 | $1,946 |
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 Ford City’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Ford City’s government
How much does Ford City spend per resident?
About $709 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 $709 was less than 69% of 290 Pennsylvania cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Ford City?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,946 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 2.31% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.30% across Pennsylvania. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the city’s assessor.
Who runs Ford City’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Ford City yet.
How did Ford City vote in 2024?
Pennsylvania counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Ford City alone. Armstrong County, where 100% of Ford City lies, voted Trump 76.2%, Harris 23.0% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Ford City?
7 full-time and 8 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $50,898 (about $610,776 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Ford City in the state legislature?
State Senate District 41 (Joe Pittman) and State House District 60 (Abby Major). The House district also covers 25 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Ford City’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 →