Photo: Umrok · CC BY-SA 4.0Kingston spent less per resident in 2022 than 70% of similar cities
Kingston’s borough government spent $11.6 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2023, about $868 per resident.
What stands out about how Kingston is run
Read from the borough’s budget and official records.
$883 per resident in 2022: less than 70% of them
Kingston’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($883 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 $997, and the middle half spent $812–$1,266. Kingston spent less than 70% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($1 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; Kingston itself left out).
About $868 per resident a year, or $2.38 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 21%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 2% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Kingston reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.
Day-to-day spending by fiscal year
Per resident: 2022: $883 · 2023: $868.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $2,628 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.52% 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 Kingston’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 Kingston’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Kingston →
Who’s in charge in Kingston
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Kingston’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The borough posts agendas and minutes on kingstonpa.org ↗.
One full-time borough employee for every 183 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 2023 finance file (13,329).
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.
Wyoming Valley West School District
Kingston’s K–12 school district, shared with Courtdale, Edwardsville, Forty Fort, Larksville, Luzerne and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $16,982 per pupil, $10,440 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.
Kingston’s votes are counted by county
Pennsylvania reports official results by county and precinct, not by borough, so there are no official results for Kingston 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 Kingston 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 Kingston.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: kingstonpa.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 Kingston compares with the towns next door
Kingston spent $883 per resident in 2022; the 5 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $683 to $1,977. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Edwardsville | $683 | $1,841 |
| Pringle | $781 | $1,926 |
| Plains Township | $961 | $2,301 |
| Forty Fort | $1,093 | $2,506 |
| Wilkes-Barre | $1,977 | $2,083 |
| Kingston | $883 | $2,628 |
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 Kingston’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Kingston’s government
How much does Kingston spend per resident?
About $868 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2023, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $883 was less than 70% of 43 Pennsylvania cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Kingston?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,628 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.52% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.30% across Pennsylvania. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see kingstonpa.org.
Who runs Kingston’s government?
See kingstonpa.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Kingston yet.
How did Kingston vote in 2024?
Pennsylvania counts votes by county and precinct, not by borough, so there are no official results for Kingston alone. Luzerne County, where 100% of Kingston lies, voted Trump 59.2%, Harris 40.0% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Kingston?
73 full-time and 19 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $395,275 (about $4.7M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Kingston in the state legislature?
State Senate District 20 (Lisa Baker) and State House District 120 (Brenda Pugh). The House district also covers 13 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Kingston’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 →