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PA 435 nb and PA 690 wb in Moscow, Aug 2022Photo: Mr. Matté (if there is an issue with this image, contact me using this image's Commons talk page, my Commons user talk page, or my English Wikipedia user talk page; I'll know about it a lot faster) · CC BY-SA 4.0
Town Hall · Moscow

Moscow spent more per resident in 2022 than 88% of similar cities

Moscow’s borough government spent $2 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $965 per resident.

Town website
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$2.0M
year to December 31, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$965
In 2022: $965, more than 88% of 574 similar cities
Long-term debt
$535,000
end of 2022, reported
Borough staff, 2022
7
full-time · 16 part-time · March payroll $44,125
Typical tax bill
$3,958
1.29% of home value · PA 1.30%

What stands out about how Moscow is run

Read from the borough’s budget and official records.

Compared with similar places

$965 per resident in 2022: more than 88% of them

Moscow’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($965 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. Moscow spent more than 88% of them.

Middle half of the group, $300–$724Median $483Moscow

Includes sewer and trash ($715,000), 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; Moscow itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $965 per resident a year, or $2.64 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 37%.

Where the money comes from
From the state 38%Property taxes 26%Income taxes 18%Fees & charges 6%From the federal government 5%Other taxes & licenses 5%Interest, fines & other 1%From other local governments <1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $374,000; interest on debt $21,000. With these, the whole budget was $2.4 million.
Over the years

No trend yet

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

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $3,958 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.29% of the home’s value, vs 1.30% across Pennsylvania.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Roaring Brook Township$5,185
Covington Township$4,183
Moscow$3,958
Madison Township$3,375
Pennsylvania$3,311
Spring Brook Township$3,265
$3,958
typical bill a year
1.29%
effective rate
$307,000
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Moscow’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 Moscow’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Moscow →

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Moscow

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

See moscowboro.com for Moscow’s current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Moscow yet.moscowboro.com ↗
Agendas

Moscow’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The borough posts agendas and minutes on moscowboro.com ↗.

Who works for Moscow

One full-time borough employee for every 289 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 (2,026).

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

Police2 + 6 pt
Fire0 + 9 pt
Roads & transportation3
Administration & buildings2 + 1 pt
7
full-time
16
part-time
$44,125
payroll for March 2022
$529,500
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$49,900
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
2
sworn police officers
Compared, 2022.Moscow had 3.5 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: Moscow had more than 80% 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

North Pocono School District

Moscow’s K–12 school district, shared with Clifton Township, Covington Township, Elmhurst Township, Jefferson Township, Lehigh Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Moscow →
$19,446
per pupil · PA $21,758
2,879
students
$43.6 million
long-term debt

Of the $19,446 per pupil, $12,173 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 61%State 35%Federal 4%

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

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Moscow’s votes are counted by county

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

President · Lackawanna County’s results116,590 votes · results as certified
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat51.0%59,510 votes
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican48.3%56,261 votes

Others: 0.7% (819 votes).

Most votes in Lackawanna County: Kamala D Harris

Pennsylvania: Trump 50.4%, Harris 48.7%

The county’s page

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

Lackawanna 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 Moscow

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Moscow.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
  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 Moscow compares with the towns next door

Moscow spent $965 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.

Spends the leastSpends the mostEstimate or no figures
TownDay-to-day, per resident (2022)Tax bill
Madison Township$247$3,375
Spring Brook Township$354$3,265
Roaring Brook Township$530$5,185
Covington Township$579$4,183
Moscow$965$3,958

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 Moscow’s government

The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Moscow’s government

How much does Moscow spend per resident?

About $965 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 $965 was more than 88% of 574 Pennsylvania cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Moscow?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,958 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.29% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.30% across Pennsylvania. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see moscowboro.com.

Who runs Moscow’s government?

See moscowboro.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Moscow yet.

How did Moscow vote in 2024?

Pennsylvania counts votes by county and precinct, not by borough, so there are no official results for Moscow alone. Lackawanna County, where 100% of Moscow lies, voted Harris 51.0%, Trump 48.3% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Moscow?

7 full-time and 16 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $44,125 (about $529,500 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Moscow in the state legislature?

State Senate District 40 (Rosemary Brown) and State House District 113 (Kyle Donahue). The House district also covers eight other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Moscow’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 →