Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to Plymouth

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
Plymouth, PennsylvaniaPhoto: Doug Kerr · CC BY-SA 2.0
Town Hall · Plymouth

Plymouth spent less per resident in 2022 than 99% of similar cities

Plymouth’s borough government spent $2.5 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, about $441 per resident.

Day-to-day spending, 2024
$2.5M
year to December 31, 2024
Per resident, 2024
$441
In 2022: $354, less than 99% of 290 similar cities
Long-term debt
$20,000
end of 2024, reported
Borough staff, 2022
13
full-time · 20 part-time · March payroll $64,743
Typical tax bill
$1,616
1.75% of home value · PA 1.30%

What stands out about how Plymouth is run

Read from the borough’s budget and official records.

Compared with similar places

$354 per resident in 2022: less than 99% of them

Plymouth’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($354 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 $663–$1,098. Plymouth spent less than 99% of them.

Middle half of the group, $663–$1,098Median $858Plymouth

Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →

The group
290

Pennsylvania cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Plymouth itself left out).

Your share of the 2024 budget

About $441 per resident a year, or $1.21 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 32%.

Where the money comes from
Property taxes 39%From the state 21%Income taxes 19%Other taxes & licenses 7%Fees & charges 7%From other local governments 4%Interest, fines & other 3%
Not in the receipt.Interest on debt $4,000. With these, the whole budget was $2.5 million.
About “Other”.26% of Plymouth’s day-to-day spending ($651,000) is filed by the Census Bureau outside the named functions above, so the receipt can’t say what it buys.
Over the years

Day-to-day spending is up 24% since 2022

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

Day-to-day spending by fiscal year

2022$2 million
2024$2.5 million

Per resident: 2022: $354 · 2024: $441.

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 $1,616 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.75% of the home’s value, vs 1.30% across Pennsylvania.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Pennsylvania$3,311
Larksville$2,545
Hanover Township$2,436
Plymouth Township$1,797
Plymouth$1,616
$1,616
typical bill a year
1.75%
effective rate
$92,500
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Plymouth

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

Check Plymouth’s own website for current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Plymouth yet.
Who works for Plymouth

One full-time borough employee for every 442 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 (5,751).

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

Police8 + 9 pt
Fire3 + 4 pt
Administration & buildings2 + 1 pt
Roads & transportation0 + 4 pt
Health & welfare0 + 1 pt
Other0 + 1 pt
13
full-time
20
part-time
$64,743
payroll for March 2022
$776,916
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$50,400
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
8
sworn police officers
3
full-time firefighters
Compared, 2022.Plymouth had 2.3 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 175 of the 290 Pennsylvania cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 3.5: Plymouth had fewer than 87% 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

Wyoming Valley West School District

Plymouth’s K–12 school district, shared with Courtdale, Edwardsville, Forty Fort, Kingston, Larksville and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Plymouth →
$16,982
per pupil · PA $21,758
4,901
students
$38.8 million
long-term debt

Of the $16,982 per pupil, $10,440 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 40%State 41%Federal 19%

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

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Plymouth’s votes are counted by county

Pennsylvania reports official results by county and precinct, not by borough, so there are no official results for Plymouth alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Luzerne County’s results.

President · Luzerne County’s results156,150 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican59.2%92,444 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat40.0%62,504 votes

Others: 0.8% (1,202 votes).

Most votes in Luzerne County: Donald J Trump

Pennsylvania: Trump 50.4%, Harris 48.7%

The county’s page

100% of Plymouth lies in Luzerne County. Every 2024 race in Luzerne County is on the county’s page.

Luzerne 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 Plymouth

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Plymouth.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  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 Plymouth compares with the towns next door

Plymouth spent $354 per resident in 2022. Most of its neighbors are townships, a different kind of government, so the like-for-like comparison is with similar cities, above. Tap a town to see its page.

Spends the leastSpends the mostEstimate or no figures
TownDay-to-day, per resident (2022)Tax bill
Larksville$530$2,545
Plymouth Township$589$1,797
Hanover Township$863$2,436
Plymouth$354$1,616

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 Plymouth’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Plymouth’s government

How much does Plymouth spend per resident?

About $441 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 $354 was less than 99% of 290 Pennsylvania cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Plymouth?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,616 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.75% 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 Plymouth’s government?

We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Plymouth yet.

How did Plymouth vote in 2024?

Pennsylvania counts votes by county and precinct, not by borough, so there are no official results for Plymouth alone. Luzerne County, where 100% of Plymouth lies, voted Trump 59.2%, Harris 40.0% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Plymouth?

13 full-time and 20 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $64,743 (about $776,916 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Plymouth in the state legislature?

State Senate District 20 (Lisa Baker) and State House District 119 (Alec Ryncavage). The House district also covers 12 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Plymouth’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 →