Christiana Lindsey House · Photo: Nyttend · Public domainMercer spent more per resident in 2022 than 90% of similar cities
Mercer’s borough government spent $2 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $1,087 per resident.
What stands out about how Mercer is run
Read from the borough’s budget and official records.
$1,087 per resident in 2022: more than 90% of them
Mercer’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,087 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–$724. Mercer spent more than 90% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($792,000), 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 under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Mercer itself left out).
About $1,087 per resident a year, or $2.98 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 39%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Mercer reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $1,631 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.08% 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 Mercer’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 Mercer’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Mercer →
Who’s in charge in Mercer
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time borough employee for every 187 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 (1,865).
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.
Mercer Area School District
Mercer’s K–12 school district, shared with Coolspring Township, East Lackawannock Township, Findley Township, Jefferson Township. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $16,473 per pupil, $10,318 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.
Mercer’s votes are counted by county
Pennsylvania reports official results by county and precinct, not by borough, so there are no official results for Mercer alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Mercer County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican64.6%37,761 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat34.5%20,145 votesOthers: 0.9% (504 votes).
Most votes in Mercer County: Donald J Trump
Pennsylvania: Trump 50.4%, Harris 48.7%
100% of Mercer lies in Mercer County. Every 2024 race in Mercer County is on the county’s page.
Mercer 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 Mercer.
- 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 Mercer compares with the towns next door
Mercer spent $1,087 per resident in 2022. Most of its neighbors are townships, a different kind of government, so the like-for-like comparison is with similar cities, above. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| East Lackawannock Township | $181 | $2,062 |
| Findley Township | $277 | $1,925 |
| Coolspring Township | $456 | $2,451 |
| Mercer | $1,087 | $1,631 |
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 Mercer’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Mercer’s government
How much does Mercer spend per resident?
About $1,087 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 $1,087 was more than 90% of 574 Pennsylvania cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Mercer?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,631 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.08% 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 Mercer’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Mercer yet.
How did Mercer vote in 2024?
Pennsylvania counts votes by county and precinct, not by borough, so there are no official results for Mercer alone. Mercer County, where 100% of Mercer lies, voted Trump 64.6%, Harris 34.5% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Mercer?
10 full-time and 30 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $90,127 (about $1.1M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Mercer in the state legislature?
State Senate District 50 (Michele Brooks) and State House District 17 (Tim Bonner). The House district also covers 49 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Mercer’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 →