Photo: Ii2nmd · CC BY-SA 4.0Lower Merion Township spent more per resident in 2022 than 98% of similar towns
Lower Merion Township’s town government spent $97.3 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, about $1,516 per resident.
What stands out about how Lower Merion Township is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$1,569 per resident in 2022: more than 98% of them
Lower Merion Township’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,569 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 41 Pennsylvania towns and townships of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $883, and the middle half spent $771–$1,071. Lower Merion Township spent more than 98% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($16.2 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 towns and townships of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Lower Merion Township itself left out).
About $1,516 per resident a year, or $4.15 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 31%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 2% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Lower Merion Township 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: $1,569 · 2023: $1,456 · 2024: $1,516. Per resident it went from $1,569 to $1,516 (down 3%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 60,626 to 64,151.
full-time in March 2025, up from 396 in 2022. Both are Census estimates.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $9,960 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.23% 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 Lower Merion 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 Lower Merion Township’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Lower Merion Township →
Who’s in charge in Lower Merion Township
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Lower Merion Township’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on lowermerion.org ↗.
One full-time town employee for every 161 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (64,151).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Lower Merion School District
Lower Merion Township’s K–12 school district, shared with Narberth. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $32,865 per pupil, $20,722 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.
Lower Merion 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 Lower Merion Township alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Montgomery County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat60.9%317,103 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican38.1%198,311 votesOthers: 1.1% (5,492 votes).
Most votes in Montgomery County: Kamala D Harris
Pennsylvania: Trump 50.4%, Harris 48.7%
100% of Lower Merion Township lies in Montgomery County. Every 2024 race in Montgomery County is on the county’s page.
Montgomery 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 Lower Merion Township.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: lowermerion.org ↗
- 2Pennsylvania HouseLower Merion Township is split between 2 districts
- 3Pennsylvania SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseSplit between districts
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Pennsylvania
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Lower Merion Township compares with the towns next door
Lower Merion Township spent $1,569 per resident in 2022; the 6 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $983 to $5,379. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Haverford Township | $983 | $7,366 |
| Radnor Township | $1,376 | $10,000+ |
| Upper Merion Township | $1,404 | $4,159 |
| Whitemarsh Township | $1,453 | $5,778 |
| Conshohocken | $1,701 | $3,770 |
| Philadelphia | $5,379 | $2,003 |
| West Conshohocken | estimate | $3,527 |
| Lower Merion Township | $1,569 | $9,960 |
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 Lower Merion Township’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Lower Merion Township’s government
How much does Lower Merion Township spend per resident?
About $1,516 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,569 was more than 98% of 41 Pennsylvania towns and townships of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Lower Merion Township?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $9,960 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.23% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.30% across Pennsylvania. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see lowermerion.org.
Who runs Lower Merion Township’s government?
See lowermerion.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Lower Merion Township yet.
How did Lower Merion Township vote in 2024?
Pennsylvania counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Lower Merion Township alone. Montgomery County, where 100% of Lower Merion Township lies, voted Harris 60.9%, Trump 38.1% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Lower Merion Township?
398 full-time and 172 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $4.5M (about $53.6M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Lower Merion Township in the state legislature?
Lower Merion Township is split among 2 State House districts, so your address decides. The Pennsylvania Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Its State Senate district is District 17 (Amanda Cappelletti). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Lower Merion 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 →