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E Street bungalows in LibertyPhoto: Nyttend · Public domain
Town Hall · Liberty

Liberty spent more per resident in 2022 than 66% of similar cities

Liberty’s borough government spent $1.5 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $631 per resident.

Day-to-day spending, 2022
$1.5M
year to December 31, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$631
In 2022: $631, more than 66% of 574 similar cities
Long-term debt
$965,000
end of 2022, reported
Borough staff, 2022
6
full-time · 18 part-time · March payroll $43,595
Typical tax bill
$1,964
1.70% of home value · PA 1.30%

What stands out about how Liberty is run

Read from the borough’s budget and official records.

Compared with similar places

$631 per resident in 2022: more than 66% of them

Liberty’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($631 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–$726. Liberty spent more than 66% of them.

Middle half of the group, $300–$726Median $483Liberty

Includes sewer and trash ($462,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →

The group
574

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

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $631 per resident a year, or $1.73 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 30%.

Where the money comes from
Property taxes 33%Fees & charges 31%Income taxes 15%From the state 8%From the federal government 6%Other taxes & licenses 5%From other local governments 2%Interest, fines & other 1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $193,000; interest on debt $37,000. With these, the whole budget was $1.8 million.
Over the years

No trend yet

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

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $1,964 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.70% of the home’s value, vs 1.30% across Pennsylvania.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Pennsylvania$3,311
Lincoln$2,404
Liberty$1,964
Glassport$1,466
Port Vue$1,374
McKeesport$1,044
$1,964
typical bill a year
1.70%
effective rate
$115,600
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Liberty’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. In a town this small the estimate has a wide margin.

Tax bills are one input to Liberty’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Liberty →

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Liberty

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

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

One full-time borough employee for every 406 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 (2,438).

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

Administration & buildings2 + 11 pt
Police2 + 6 pt
Roads & transportation2 + 1 pt
6
full-time
18
part-time
$43,595
payroll for March 2022
$523,140
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$58,200
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
2
sworn police officers
Compared, 2022.Liberty had 2.5 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 379 of the 574 Pennsylvania cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 1.0: Liberty had more than 70% 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

South Allegheny School District

Liberty’s K–12 school district, shared with Glassport, Lincoln, Port Vue. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Liberty →
$18,588
per pupil · PA $21,758
1,423
students
$26 million
long-term debt

Of the $18,588 per pupil, $11,319 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 32%State 58%Federal 10%

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

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Liberty’s votes are counted by county

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

President · Allegheny County’s results720,504 votes · results as certified
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat59.7%429,916 votes
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican39.4%283,595 votes

Others: 1.0% (6,993 votes).

Most votes in Allegheny County: Kamala D Harris

Pennsylvania: Trump 50.4%, Harris 48.7%

The county’s page

100% of Liberty lies in Allegheny County. Every 2024 race in Allegheny County is on the county’s page.

Allegheny 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 Liberty

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Liberty.

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 Liberty compares with the towns next door

Liberty spent $631 per resident in 2022; the 4 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $653 to $1,212. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.

Spends the leastSpends the mostEstimate or no figures
TownDay-to-day, per resident (2022)Tax bill
Port Vue$653$1,374
Glassport$1,018$1,466
McKeesport$1,195$1,044
Lincoln$1,212$2,404
Liberty$631$1,964

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 Liberty’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Liberty’s government

How much does Liberty spend per resident?

About $631 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 $631 was more than 66% of 574 Pennsylvania cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Liberty?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,964 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.70% 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 Liberty’s government?

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

How did Liberty vote in 2024?

Pennsylvania counts votes by county and precinct, not by borough, so there are no official results for Liberty alone. Allegheny County, where 100% of Liberty lies, voted Harris 59.7%, Trump 39.4% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Liberty?

6 full-time and 18 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $43,595 (about $523,140 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Liberty in the state legislature?

State Senate District 45 (Nick Pisciottano) and State House District 35 (Dan Goughnour). The House district also covers 13 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Liberty’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 →