How is Penbrook run?
Penbrook’s borough government spent $2.4 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $811 per resident.
What stands out about how Penbrook is run
Read from the borough’s budget and official records.
About $811 per resident a year, or $2.22 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 36%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$811 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
Penbrook’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($811 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 290 Pennsylvania cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $858, and the middle half spent $655–$1,098. Penbrook spent less than 53% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($862,000), 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 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Penbrook itself left out).
No trend yet
Penbrook reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $2,890 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.72% 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 Penbrook’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 Penbrook’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Penbrook →
Who’s in charge in Penbrook
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time borough employee for every 271 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 (2,976).
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.
Central Dauphin School District
Penbrook’s K–12 school district, shared with Dauphin, Lower Paxton Township, Middle Paxton Township, Paxtang, Swatara Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $16,282 per pupil, $10,337 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.
Penbrook’s votes are counted by county
Pennsylvania reports official results by county and precinct, not by borough, so there are no official results for Penbrook alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Dauphin County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat52.4%78,327 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican46.5%69,474 votesOthers: 1.2% (1,725 votes).
Most votes in Dauphin County: Kamala D Harris
Pennsylvania: Trump 50.4%, Harris 48.7%
100% of Penbrook lies in Dauphin County. Every 2024 race in Dauphin County is on the county’s page.
Dauphin 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 Penbrook.
- 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 Penbrook compares with the towns next door
Penbrook spent $811 per resident in 2022. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Penbrook | $811 | $2,890 |
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 Penbrook’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Penbrook’s government
How much does Penbrook spend per resident?
About $811 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 $811 was less than 53% of 290 Pennsylvania cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Penbrook?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,890 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.72% 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 Penbrook’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Penbrook yet.
How did Penbrook vote in 2024?
Pennsylvania counts votes by county and precinct, not by borough, so there are no official results for Penbrook alone. Dauphin County, where 100% of Penbrook lies, voted Harris 52.4%, Trump 46.5% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Penbrook?
11 full-time and 4 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $90,899 (about $1.1M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Penbrook in the state legislature?
State Senate District 15 (Patty Kim) and State House District 105 (Justin Fleming). The House district also covers two neighboring towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Penbrook’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 →