Photo: 颐园居 · CC BY-SA 4.0Philadelphia spent more per resident in 2022 than 100% of similar cities
Philadelphia’s city government spent $10.5 billion on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $6,670 per resident. Water and other utilities ($650.4 million) and the airport ($282.2 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Philadelphia is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
Who’s in charge in Philadelphia
From public records with a current term; a name is hidden the day its term ends.
Council members and agencies: phila.gov ↗
Philadelphia’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on phila.gov ↗.
About $6,670 per resident a year, or $18.27 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: health & welfare, at 33%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$5,379 per resident in 2022: more than 100% of them
Philadelphia’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($5,379 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 925 Pennsylvania cities that don’t run their own schools: the median was $647, and the middle half spent $401–$933. Philadelphia spent more than 100% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($504.4 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 cities that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Philadelphia itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is up 23% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Philadelphia reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.
Day-to-day spending by fiscal year
Per resident: 2022: $5,379 · 2023: $5,832 · 2024: $6,670.
full-time in March 2025, up from 29,033 in 2022.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $2,003 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.82% 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 Philadelphia’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 Philadelphia’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Philadelphia →
One full-time city employee for every 52 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (1,567,258).
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.
Philadelphia City School District
Philadelphia’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $19,525 per pupil, $10,153 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.
How Philadelphia voted in 2024
Official results for Philadelphia’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat78.8%566,394 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican20.0%144,044 votesOthers: 1.2% (8,534 votes).
Most votes in Philadelphia: Kamala D Harris
Philadelphia County: Harris 78.8%, Trump 20.0% · Pennsylvania: Trump 50.4%, Harris 48.7%
of Philadelphia’s 1,142,301 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Pennsylvania: 71%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Philadelphia: Robert P Casey
Philadelphia County: Casey 78.4%, McCormick 18.7% · Pennsylvania: McCormick 48.8%, Jr 48.6%
U.S. House, 2024: 3 districts cover Philadelphia, so your street decides which race was yours. All 3 districts’ results →
President, 2024: Philadelphia, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia | 78.8% | 20.0% | 1.2% | 718,972 |
| Philadelphia County | 78.8% | 20.0% | 1.2% | 718,972 |
| Pennsylvania | 48.7% | 50.4% | 1.0% | 7,034,206 |
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
Philadelphia sends 26 representatives to the Pennsylvania House alone.
- 1Your cityMayorCherelle Parkeras listed by Open States, October 9, 2026
- 2Pennsylvania HousePhiladelphia is split between 26 districts
- 3Pennsylvania SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseSplit between districts
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Pennsylvania
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Philadelphia compares with the towns next door
No neighbor is close in size, so the comparison above uses Pennsylvania cities that don’t run their own schools. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Darby Township | $946 | $4,676 |
| Bensalem Township | $1,001 | $4,866 |
| Lower Merion Township | $1,569 | $9,960 |
| Tinicum Township | $2,880 | $3,779 |
| Upper Darby Township | estimate | $5,254 |
| Yeadon | estimate | $5,044 |
| Colwyn | estimate | $4,403 |
| Folcroft | estimate | $3,987 |
| Philadelphia | $5,379 | $2,003 |
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 Philadelphia’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Philadelphia’s government
How much does Philadelphia spend per resident?
About $6,670 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $5,379 was more than 100% of 925 Pennsylvania cities that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Philadelphia?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,003 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.82% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.30% across Pennsylvania. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see phila.gov.
Who is the mayor of Philadelphia?
Cherelle Parker, as listed by Open States (checked October 9, 2026). The council and agencies are listed on phila.gov.
How did Philadelphia vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 78.8%, Donald J Trump 20.0% (718,972 votes, official results). Philadelphia County: Harris 78.8%, Trump 20.0%. Pennsylvania: Trump 50.4%, Harris 48.7%.
How many people work for Philadelphia?
30,266 full-time and 1,894 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $244.0M (about $2.9B a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Philadelphia in the state legislature?
Philadelphia is split among 26 State House districts and 7 State Senate districts, so your address decides. The Pennsylvania Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Philadelphia’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 →