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GAR BUILDING, LYKENS, DAUPHIN COUNTY, PAPhoto: JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ, M.D. · CC BY-SA 4.0
Town Hall · Lykens Township

Lykens Township spent less per resident in 2022 than 98% of similar towns

Lykens Township’s town government spent $276,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $163 per resident.

Day-to-day spending, 2022
$276,000
year to December 31, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$163
In 2022: $163, less than 98% of 839 similar towns
Long-term debt
Not reported
end of 2022, reported
Town staff, 2022
0
full-time · 11 part-time · March payroll $12,099 · Census estimate
Typical tax bill
$2,688
1.42% of home value · PA 1.30%

What stands out about how Lykens Township is run

Read from the town’s budget and official records.

Compared with similar places

$163 per resident in 2022: less than 98% of them

Lykens Township’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($163 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 839 Pennsylvania towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $393, and the middle half spent $286–$580. Lykens Township spent less than 98% of them.

Middle half of the group, $286–$580Median $393Lykens Township

Includes sewer and trash ($7,000), 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
839

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

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $163 per resident a year, or $0.45 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 54%.

Where the money comes from
Income taxes 35%From the state 28%From the federal government 17%Property taxes 10%Fees & charges 4%Other taxes & licenses 4%Interest, fines & other 1%
Over the years

No trend yet

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

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $2,688 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.42% of the home’s value, vs 1.30% across Pennsylvania.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Pennsylvania$3,311
Washington Township$3,102
Jordan Township$3,015
Mifflin Township$2,990
Lykens Township$2,688
Upper Mahantongo Township$2,583
Pillow$1,782
Wiconisco Township$1,334
Klingerstown$1,167
$2,688
typical bill a year
1.42%
effective rate
$189,300
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Lykens Township

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

Check Lykens Township’s own website for current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Lykens Township yet.
The school district

Upper Dauphin Area School District

Lykens Township’s K–12 school district, shared with Berrysburg, Elizabethville, Gratz, Jefferson Township, Lykens and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Lykens Township →
$20,442
per pupil · PA $21,758
1,038
students
$6.2 million
long-term debt

Of the $20,442 per pupil, $12,831 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 44%State 48%Federal 8%

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

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Lykens 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 Lykens Township alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Dauphin County’s results.

President · Dauphin County’s results149,526 votes · results as certified
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat52.4%78,327 votes
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican46.5%69,474 votes

Others: 1.2% (1,725 votes).

Most votes in Dauphin County: Kamala D Harris

Pennsylvania: Trump 50.4%, Harris 48.7%

The county’s page

100% of Lykens Township lies in Dauphin County. Every 2024 race in Dauphin County is on the county’s page.

Dauphin 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 Lykens Township

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Lykens Township.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your townTown government
    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 Lykens Township compares with the towns next door

Lykens Township spent $163 per resident in 2022; the 6 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $162 to $951. 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
Pillow$162$1,782
Mifflin Township$346$2,990
Washington Township$377$3,102
Jordan Township$388$3,015
Wiconisco Township$401$1,334
Upper Mahantongo Township$951$2,583
Lykens Township$163$2,688

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 Lykens Township’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Lykens Township’s government

How much does Lykens Township spend per resident?

About $163 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 $163 was less than 98% of 839 Pennsylvania towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Lykens Township?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,688 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.42% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.30% across Pennsylvania. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the town’s assessor.

Who runs Lykens Township’s government?

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

How did Lykens Township vote in 2024?

Pennsylvania counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Lykens Township alone. Dauphin County, where 100% of Lykens Township lies, voted Harris 52.4%, Trump 46.5% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Lykens Township?

0 full-time and 11 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $12,099 (about $145,188 a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.

Who represents Lykens Township in the state legislature?

State Senate District 34 (Greg Rothman) and State House District 125 (Joe Kerwin). The House district also covers 23 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Lykens Township’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 →