Photo: Shuvaev · CC BY-SA 3.0Palmer Township spent more per resident in 2022 than 94% of similar towns
Palmer Township’s town government spent $26 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $1,215 per resident.
What stands out about how Palmer Township is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$1,215 per resident in 2022: more than 94% of them
Palmer Township’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,215 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 147 Pennsylvania towns and townships of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $717, and the middle half spent $484–$951. Palmer Township spent more than 94% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($5.7 million), 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 towns and townships of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Palmer Township itself left out).
About $1,215 per resident a year, or $3.33 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 25%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Palmer Township reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
full-time in March 2025, up from 79 in 2022. Both are Census estimates.
The typical homeowner pays $5,330 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.67% 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 Palmer 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.
Tax bills are one input to Palmer Township’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Palmer Township →
Who’s in charge in Palmer Township
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Palmer Township’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on palmertwp.com ↗.
One full-time town employee for every 268 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (21,443).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Easton Area School District
Palmer Township’s K–12 school district, shared with Easton, Forks Township. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $20,684 per pupil, $13,125 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.
Palmer 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 Palmer Township alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Northampton County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican50.4%89,817 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat48.6%86,655 votesOthers: 1.0% (1,743 votes).
Most votes in Northampton County: Donald J Trump
Pennsylvania: Trump 50.4%, Harris 48.7%
100% of Palmer Township lies in Northampton County. Every 2024 race in Northampton County is on the county’s page.
Northampton 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 Palmer Township.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: palmertwp.com ↗
- 2Pennsylvania HousePalmer Township is split between 2 districts
- 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 Palmer Township compares with the towns next door
Palmer Township spent $1,215 per resident in 2022; the 7 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $523 to $2,256. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Upper Nazareth Township | $523 | $6,262 |
| Forks Township | $841 | $6,202 |
| Lower Nazareth Township | $999 | $6,102 |
| Bethlehem Township | $1,079 | $6,126 |
| Wilson | $1,169 | $3,124 |
| Tatamy | $1,229 | $4,670 |
| Stockertown | $2,256 | $4,979 |
| Easton | estimate | $3,294 |
| Palmer Township | $1,215 | $5,330 |
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 Palmer Township’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Palmer Township’s government
How much does Palmer Township spend per resident?
About $1,215 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 $1,215 was more than 94% of 147 Pennsylvania towns and townships of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Palmer Township?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $5,330 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.67% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.30% across Pennsylvania. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see palmertwp.com.
Who runs Palmer Township’s government?
See palmertwp.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Palmer Township yet.
How did Palmer Township vote in 2024?
Pennsylvania counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Palmer Township alone. Northampton County, where 100% of Palmer Township lies, voted Trump 50.4%, Harris 48.6% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Palmer Township?
80 full-time and 53 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $825,631 (about $9.9M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Palmer Township in the state legislature?
Palmer Township is split among 2 State House districts, so your address decides. The Pennsylvania Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Its State Senate district is District 18 (Lisa Boscola). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Palmer Township’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 →