Photo: Vasiliymeshko · CC BY-SA 3.0Luzerne spent less per resident in 2022 than 96% of similar cities
Luzerne’s borough government spent $1.3 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $449 per resident.
What stands out about how Luzerne is run
Read from the borough’s budget and official records.
$449 per resident in 2022: less than 96% of them
Luzerne’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($449 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 $858, and the middle half spent $663–$1,098. Luzerne spent less than 96% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($109,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Pennsylvania cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Luzerne itself left out).
About $449 per resident a year, or $1.23 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 33%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Luzerne reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $1,722 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.51% 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 Luzerne’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 Luzerne’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Luzerne →
Who’s in charge in Luzerne
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time borough employee for every 560 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 2022 finance file (2,802).
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
Luzerne’s K–12 school district, shared with Courtdale, Edwardsville, Forty Fort, Kingston, Larksville 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.
Luzerne’s votes are counted by county
Pennsylvania reports official results by county and precinct, not by borough, so there are no official results for Luzerne 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 Luzerne 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 Luzerne.
- 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 Luzerne compares with the towns next door
Luzerne spent $449 per resident in 2022; the 3 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $377 to $781. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Courtdale | $377 | $2,687 |
| Kingston Township | $609 | $3,291 |
| Pringle | $781 | $1,926 |
| Luzerne | $449 | $1,722 |
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 Luzerne’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Luzerne’s government
How much does Luzerne spend per resident?
About $449 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 $449 was less than 96% of 290 Pennsylvania cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Luzerne?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,722 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.51% 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 Luzerne’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Luzerne yet.
How did Luzerne vote in 2024?
Pennsylvania counts votes by county and precinct, not by borough, so there are no official results for Luzerne alone. Luzerne County, where 100% of Luzerne lies, voted Trump 59.2%, Harris 40.0% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Luzerne?
5 full-time and 24 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $90,605 (about $1.1M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Luzerne 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 Luzerne’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 →