Photo: formulanone · CC BY-SA 2.0Highspire spent more per resident in 2022 than 96% of similar cities
Highspire’s borough government spent $4.1 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $1,751 per resident.
What stands out about how Highspire is run
Read from the borough’s budget and official records.
$1,751 per resident in 2022: more than 96% of them
Highspire’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,751 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–$724. Highspire spent more than 96% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($1.9 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 under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Highspire itself left out).
About $1,751 per resident a year, or $4.80 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 47%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Highspire reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $3,549 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 2.45% 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 Highspire’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 Highspire’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Highspire →
Who’s in charge in Highspire
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time borough employee for every 139 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 (2,369).
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.
Steelton-Highspire School District
Highspire’s K–12 school district, shared with Steelton. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $17,210 per pupil, $10,244 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 2022–23. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Highspire’s votes are counted by county
Pennsylvania reports official results by county and precinct, not by borough, so there are no official results for Highspire alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Dauphin County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat52.4%78,327 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican46.5%69,474 votesOthers: 1.2% (1,725 votes).
Most votes in Dauphin County: Kamala D Harris
Pennsylvania: Trump 50.4%, Harris 48.7%
100% of Highspire lies in Dauphin County. Every 2024 race in Dauphin County is on the county’s page.
Dauphin 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 Highspire.
- 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 Highspire compares with the towns next door
Highspire spent $1,751 per resident in 2022; the 2 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $983 to $1,104. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Lower Swatara Township | $983 | $3,867 |
| Steelton | $1,104 | $2,502 |
| Highspire | $1,751 | $3,549 |
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 Highspire’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Highspire’s government
How much does Highspire spend per resident?
About $1,751 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 $1,751 was more than 96% of 574 Pennsylvania cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Highspire?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,549 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 2.45% 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 Highspire’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Highspire yet.
How did Highspire vote in 2024?
Pennsylvania counts votes by county and precinct, not by borough, so there are no official results for Highspire alone. Dauphin County, where 100% of Highspire lies, voted Harris 52.4%, Trump 46.5% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Highspire?
17 full-time and 4 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $108,492 (about $1.3M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Highspire in the state legislature?
State Senate District 15 (Patty Kim) and State House District 104 (Dave Madsen). The House district also covers five other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Highspire’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 →