Photo: Nicholas · CC BY 2.0How is Portage Township run?
Portage Township’s town government spent $61,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $439 per resident.
What stands out about how Portage Township is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
About $439 per resident a year, or $1.20 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 44%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$439 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar towns
Portage Township’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($439 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 839 Pennsylvania towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $393, and the middle half spent $286–$580. Portage Township spent more than 59% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($11,000), 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 under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Portage Township itself left out).
No trend yet
Portage Township reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $933 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.92% 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 Portage 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. In a town this small the estimate has a wide margin.
Tax bills are one input to Portage Township’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Portage Township →
Who’s in charge in Portage Township
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Cameron County School District
Portage Township’s K–12 school district, shared with Driftwood, Emporium, Gibson Township, Grove Township, Lumber Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $19,613 per pupil, $10,649 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.
Portage 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 Portage Township alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Cameron County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican74.5%1,654 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat24.2%538 votesOthers: 1.2% (27 votes).
Most votes in Cameron County: Donald J Trump
Pennsylvania: Trump 50.4%, Harris 48.7%
100% of Portage Township lies in Cameron County. Every 2024 race in Cameron County is on the county’s page.
Cameron 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 Portage 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 Portage Township compares with the towns next door
Portage Township spent $439 per resident in 2022; the 2 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $683 to $1,311. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Shippen Township | $683 | $1,446 |
| Lumber Township | $1,311 | $1,221 |
| Portage Township | $439 | $933 |
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 Portage Township’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Portage Township’s government
How much does Portage Township spend per resident?
About $439 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 $439 was more than 59% of 839 Pennsylvania towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Portage Township?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $933 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.92% 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 Portage Township’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Portage Township yet.
How did Portage Township vote in 2024?
Pennsylvania counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Portage Township alone. Cameron County, where 100% of Portage Township lies, voted Trump 74.5%, Harris 24.2% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Portage Township?
0 full-time and 5 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $9,976 (about $119,712 a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Portage Township in the state legislature?
State Senate District 25 (Cris Dush) and State House District 67 (Marty Causer). The House district also covers 58 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Portage 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 →