Penn Forest Township spent less per resident in 2022 than 83% of similar towns
Penn Forest Township’s town government spent $2.7 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $273 per resident.
What stands out about how Penn Forest Township is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$273 per resident in 2022: less than 83% of them
Penn Forest Township’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($273 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 466 Pennsylvania towns and townships of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $420, and the middle half spent $308–$593. Penn Forest Township spent less than 83% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($514,000), 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 towns and townships of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Penn Forest Township itself left out).
About $273 per resident a year, or $0.75 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 34%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Penn Forest Township reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $3,120 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.25% 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 Penn Forest 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 Penn Forest Township’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Penn Forest Township →
Who’s in charge in Penn Forest Township
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time town employee for every 1,080 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 (9,723).
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.
Jim Thorpe Area School District
Penn Forest Township’s K–12 school district, shared with Jim Thorpe, Kidder Township. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $19,722 per pupil, $12,701 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.
Penn Forest 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 Penn Forest Township alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Carbon County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican67.0%23,708 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat32.2%11,394 votesOthers: 0.8% (293 votes).
Most votes in Carbon County: Donald J Trump
Pennsylvania: Trump 50.4%, Harris 48.7%
100% of Penn Forest Township lies in Carbon County. Every 2024 race in Carbon County is on the county’s page.
Carbon 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 Penn Forest Township.
- 1Your townTown governmentLocal 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 Penn Forest Township compares with the towns next door
Penn Forest Township spent $273 per resident in 2022; the 7 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $287 to $1,434. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Polk Township | $287 | $4,305 |
| Tunkhannock Township | $293 | $3,053 |
| Lehigh Township | $400 | $2,517 |
| Towamensing Township | $435 | $4,221 |
| Franklin Township | $644 | $3,757 |
| Jim Thorpe | $948 | $2,853 |
| Kidder Township | $1,434 | $3,735 |
| Penn Forest Township | $273 | $3,120 |
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 Penn Forest Township’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Penn Forest Township’s government
How much does Penn Forest Township spend per resident?
About $273 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 $273 was less than 83% of 466 Pennsylvania towns and townships of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Penn Forest Township?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,120 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.25% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.30% across Pennsylvania. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the town’s assessor.
Who runs Penn Forest Township’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Penn Forest Township yet.
How did Penn Forest Township vote in 2024?
Pennsylvania counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Penn Forest Township alone. Carbon County, where 100% of Penn Forest Township lies, voted Trump 67.0%, Harris 32.2% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Penn Forest Township?
9 full-time and 3 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $19,273 (about $231,276 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Penn Forest Township in the state legislature?
State Senate District 29 (Dave Argall) and State House District 122 (Doyle Heffley). The House district also covers 22 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Penn Forest 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 →