Mount Gretna spent more per resident in 2022 than 99% of similar cities
Mount Gretna’s borough government spent $512,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $2,450 per resident. Water and other utilities ($64,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Mount Gretna is run
Read from the borough’s budget and official records.
$2,450 per resident in 2022: more than 99% of them
Mount Gretna’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($2,450 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. Mount Gretna spent more than 99% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($143,000), 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; Mount Gretna itself left out).
About $2,450 per resident a year, or $6.71 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 28%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Mount Gretna reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $5,740 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.49% 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 Mount Gretna’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 Mount Gretna’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Mount Gretna →
Who’s in charge in Mount Gretna
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Mount Gretna’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The borough posts agendas and minutes on mtgretna.com ↗.
One full-time borough employee for every 42 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 (209).
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.
Cornwall-Lebanon School District
Mount Gretna’s K–12 school district, shared with Cornwall, North Cornwall Township, North Lebanon Township, South Lebanon Township, West Cornwall Township. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $16,034 per pupil, $9,898 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.
Mount Gretna’s votes are counted by county
Pennsylvania reports official results by county and precinct, not by borough, so there are no official results for Mount Gretna alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Lebanon County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican65.5%48,282 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat33.6%24,734 votesOthers: 0.9% (676 votes).
Most votes in Lebanon County: Donald J Trump
Pennsylvania: Trump 50.4%, Harris 48.7%
100% of Mount Gretna lies in Lebanon County. Every 2024 race in Lebanon County is on the county’s page.
Lebanon 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 Mount Gretna.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: mtgretna.com ↗
- 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 Mount Gretna compares with the towns next door
Mount Gretna spent $2,450 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 |
|---|---|---|
| West Cornwall Township | $351 | $2,977 |
| South Londonderry Township | $639 | $4,816 |
| Mount Gretna | $2,450 | $5,740 |
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 Mount Gretna’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Mount Gretna’s government
How much does Mount Gretna spend per resident?
About $2,450 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 $2,450 was more than 99% of 574 Pennsylvania cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Mount Gretna?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $5,740 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.49% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.30% across Pennsylvania. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see mtgretna.com.
Who runs Mount Gretna’s government?
See mtgretna.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Mount Gretna yet.
How did Mount Gretna vote in 2024?
Pennsylvania counts votes by county and precinct, not by borough, so there are no official results for Mount Gretna alone. Lebanon County, where 100% of Mount Gretna lies, voted Trump 65.5%, Harris 33.6% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Mount Gretna?
5 full-time and 0 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $34,549 (about $414,588 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Mount Gretna in the state legislature?
State Senate District 48 (Chris Gebhard) and State House District 98 (Tom Jones). The House district also covers nine other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Mount Gretna’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 →