Photo: JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ MD · CC BY-SA 3.0Foster Township spent more per resident in 2022 than 83% of similar towns
Foster Township’s town government spent $2.5 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $708 per resident.
What stands out about how Foster Township is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$708 per resident in 2022: more than 83% of them
Foster Township’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($708 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 466 Pennsylvania towns and townships of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $419, and the middle half spent $306–$592. Foster Township spent more than 83% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($834,000), 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 towns and townships of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Foster Township itself left out).
About $708 per resident a year, or $1.94 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 33%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Foster Township reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $2,329 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.37% 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 Foster Township’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 Foster Township’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Foster Township →
Who’s in charge in Foster Township
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Foster Township’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on fostertownship.org ↗.
One full-time town employee for every 1,772 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 (3,544).
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.
Hazleton Area School District
Foster Township’s K–12 school district, shared with Banks Township, Beaver Meadows, Black Creek Township, Butler Township, Conyngham and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $14,526 per pupil, $9,618 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.
Foster Township’s votes are counted by county
Pennsylvania reports official results by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Foster Township alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Luzerne County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican59.2%92,444 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat40.0%62,504 votesOthers: 0.8% (1,202 votes).
Most votes in Luzerne County: Donald J Trump
Pennsylvania: Trump 50.4%, Harris 48.7%
100% of Foster Township lies in Luzerne County. Every 2024 race in Luzerne County is on the county’s page.
Luzerne 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 Foster Township.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: fostertownship.org ↗
- 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 Foster Township compares with the towns next door
Foster Township spent $708 per resident in 2022; the 7 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $163 to $1,434. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Jeddo | $163 | $1,083 |
| Dennison Township | $270 | $2,391 |
| Lausanne Township | $284 | $3,480 |
| Butler Township | $527 | $3,055 |
| Hazle Township | $723 | $2,071 |
| White Haven | $1,130 | $1,922 |
| Kidder Township | $1,434 | $3,735 |
| Foster Township | $708 | $2,329 |
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 Foster Township’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Foster Township’s government
How much does Foster Township spend per resident?
About $708 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 $708 was more than 83% of 466 Pennsylvania towns and townships of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Foster Township?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,329 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.37% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.30% across Pennsylvania. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see fostertownship.org.
Who runs Foster Township’s government?
See fostertownship.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Foster Township yet.
How did Foster Township vote in 2024?
Pennsylvania counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Foster Township alone. Luzerne County, where 100% of Foster Township lies, voted Trump 59.2%, Harris 40.0% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Foster Township?
2 full-time and 7 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $18,129 (about $217,548 a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Foster Township in the state legislature?
State Senate District 29 (Dave Argall) and State House District 117 (Jamie Walsh). The House district also covers 28 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Foster Township’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 →