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Lipps & Sutton Silk Mill 02Photo: Shuvaev · CC BY-SA 3.0
Town Hall · Fountain Hill

Fountain Hill spent more per resident in 2022 than 85% of similar cities

Fountain Hill’s borough government spent $5.8 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $1,227 per resident.

Day-to-day spending, 2022
$5.8M
year to December 31, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$1,227
In 2022: $1,227, more than 85% of 290 similar cities
Long-term debt
$462,000
end of 2022, reported
Borough staff, 2022
18
full-time · 16 part-time · March payroll $145,252
Typical tax bill
$4,103
1.66% of home value · PA 1.30%

What stands out about how Fountain Hill is run

Read from the borough’s budget and official records.

Compared with similar places

$1,227 per resident in 2022: more than 85% of them

Fountain Hill’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,227 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 $856, and the middle half spent $655–$1,093. Fountain Hill spent more than 85% of them.

Middle half of the group, $655–$1,093Median $856Fountain Hill

Includes sewer and trash ($1.7 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 →

The group
290

Pennsylvania cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Fountain Hill itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $1,227 per resident a year, or $3.36 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 29%.

Where the money comes from
Property taxes 32%Fees & charges 32%Income taxes 10%From the federal government 8%Other taxes & licenses 7%Interest, fines & other 6%From the state 5%From other local governments <1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $271,000; interest on debt $17,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $6.1 million.
Over the years

No trend yet

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

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $4,103 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.66% of the home’s value, vs 1.30% across Pennsylvania.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Salisbury Township$4,940
Fountain Hill$4,103
Pennsylvania$3,311
$4,103
typical bill a year
1.66%
effective rate
$246,700
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Fountain Hill

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

Check Fountain Hill’s own website for current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Fountain Hill yet.
Who works for Fountain Hill

One full-time borough employee for every 262 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 (4,713).

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

Police11 + 3 pt
Administration & buildings1 + 13 pt
Roads & transportation6
18
full-time
16
part-time
$145,252
payroll for March 2022
$1.7M
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$80,400
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
10
sworn police officers
Compared, 2022.Fountain Hill had 3.8 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 175 of the 290 Pennsylvania cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 3.5: Fountain Hill had more than 57% 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

Bethlehem Area School District

Fountain Hill’s K–12 school district, shared with Bethlehem, Bethlehem Township, Freemansburg, Hanover Township. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Fountain Hill →
$18,980
per pupil · PA $21,758
12,864
students
$207.3 million
long-term debt

Of the $18,980 per pupil, $11,520 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 64%State 30%Federal 6%

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

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Fountain Hill’s votes are counted by county

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

President · Lehigh County’s results189,810 votes · results as certified
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat50.7%96,317 votes
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican48.1%91,207 votes

Others: 1.2% (2,286 votes).

Most votes in Lehigh County: Kamala D Harris

Pennsylvania: Trump 50.4%, Harris 48.7%

The county’s page

100% of Fountain Hill lies in Lehigh County. Every 2024 race in Lehigh County is on the county’s page.

Lehigh 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 Fountain Hill

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Fountain Hill.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  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 Fountain Hill compares with the towns next door

Fountain Hill spent $1,227 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.

Salisbury Township: $977 per resident (2022)Salisbury TownshipFountain Hill
Spends the leastSpends the mostEstimate or no figures
TownDay-to-day, per resident (2022)Tax bill
Salisbury Township$977$4,940
Fountain Hill$1,227$4,103

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 Fountain Hill’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Fountain Hill’s government

How much does Fountain Hill spend per resident?

About $1,227 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 $1,227 was more than 85% of 290 Pennsylvania cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Fountain Hill?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $4,103 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.66% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.30% across Pennsylvania. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the borough’s assessor.

Who runs Fountain Hill’s government?

We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Fountain Hill yet.

How did Fountain Hill vote in 2024?

Pennsylvania counts votes by county and precinct, not by borough, so there are no official results for Fountain Hill alone. Lehigh County, where 100% of Fountain Hill lies, voted Harris 50.7%, Trump 48.1% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Fountain Hill?

18 full-time and 16 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $145,252 (about $1.7M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Fountain Hill in the state legislature?

State Senate District 14 (Nick Miller) and State House District 133 (Jeanne McNeill). The House district also covers five other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Fountain Hill’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 →