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Town Hall · Penn Township

Penn Township spent more per resident in 2022 than 75% of similar towns

Penn Township’s town government spent $18.7 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, about $1,039 per resident.

Town website
Day-to-day spending, 2024
$18.7M
year to December 31, 2024
Per resident, 2024
$1,039
In 2022: $963, more than 75% of 147 similar towns
Long-term debt
$8.6M
end of 2024, reported
Town staff, 2022
74
full-time · 11 part-time · March payroll $464,373
Typical tax bill
$3,914
1.63% of home value · PA 1.30%

What stands out about how Penn Township is run

Read from the town’s budget and official records.

Compared with similar places

$963 per resident in 2022: more than 75% of them

Penn Township’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($963 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. Penn Township spent more than 75% of them.

Middle half of the group, $484–$951Median $717Penn Township

Includes sewer and trash ($4.9 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 →

The group
147

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; Penn Township itself left out).

Your share of the 2024 budget

About $1,039 per resident a year, or $2.85 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 36%.

Where the money comes from
Fees & charges 39%Property taxes 28%Income taxes 13%Other taxes & licenses 7%From the state 6%Interest, fines & other 6%From the federal government <1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $3.2 million; interest on debt $265,000. With these, the whole budget was $22.1 million.
Over the years

Day-to-day spending is up 16% since 2022

Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Penn Township reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.

Day-to-day spending by fiscal year

2022$16.2 million
2024$18.7 million

Per resident: 2022: $963 · 2024: $1,039. Per resident it went from $963 to $1,039 (up 8%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 16,809 to 17,984.

Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $3,914 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.63% of the home’s value, vs 1.30% across Pennsylvania.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Heidelberg Township$5,638
West Manheim Township$4,791
Hanover$4,017
Penn Township$3,914
Conewago Township$3,663
Parkville$3,487
Pennsylvania$3,311
Pennville$3,193
Berwick Township$3,136
$3,914
typical bill a year
1.63%
effective rate
$240,500
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Penn Township

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

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

Penn Township’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on penntwp.com ↗.

Who works for Penn Township

One full-time town employee for every 243 residents

On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (17,984).

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

Police25
Fire15
Roads & transportation15
Sewer & trash12 + 2 pt
Administration & buildings6 + 6 pt
Housing & development1 + 1 pt
Other0 + 2 pt
74
full-time
11
part-time
$464,373
payroll for March 2022
$5.6M
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$73,300
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
23
sworn police officers
15
full-time firefighters
Compared, 2022.Penn Township had 4.4 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 105 of the 147 Pennsylvania towns and townships of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 2.7: Penn Township had more than 94% 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

South Western School District

Penn Township’s K–12 school district, shared with Manheim Township, West Manheim Township. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Penn Township →
$17,408
per pupil · PA $21,758
4,346
students
$72.5 million
long-term debt

Of the $17,408 per pupil, $11,225 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 65%State 30%Federal 5%

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

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Penn 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 Township alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are York County’s results.

President · York County’s results249,210 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican62.1%154,884 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat36.9%91,926 votes

Others: 1.0% (2,400 votes).

Most votes in York County: Donald J Trump

Pennsylvania: Trump 50.4%, Harris 48.7%

The county’s page

100% of Penn Township lies in York County. Every 2024 race in York County is on the county’s page.

York 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 Penn Township

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Penn Township.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your townTown government
    Officials: penntwp.com ↗
  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 Penn Township compares with the towns next door

Penn Township spent $963 per resident in 2022; the 5 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $6 to $1,363. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.

Spends the leastSpends the mostEstimate or no figures
TownDay-to-day, per resident (2022)Tax bill
Heidelberg Township$6$5,638
Berwick Township$506$3,136
Conewago Township$544$3,663
West Manheim Township$685$4,791
Hanover$1,363$4,017
Penn Township$963$3,914

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 Township’s government

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

The Handbook →

Questions about Penn Township’s government

How much does Penn Township spend per resident?

About $1,039 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $963 was more than 75% 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 Penn Township?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,914 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.63% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.30% across Pennsylvania. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see penntwp.com.

Who runs Penn Township’s government?

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

How did Penn Township vote in 2024?

Pennsylvania counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Penn Township alone. York County, where 100% of Penn Township lies, voted Trump 62.1%, Harris 36.9% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Penn Township?

74 full-time and 11 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $464,373 (about $5.6M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Penn Township in the state legislature?

State Senate District 28 (Kristin Phillips-Hill) and State House District 169 (Kate Klunk). The House district also covers nine other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Penn Township’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 →