Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0Portland spent more per resident in 2022 than 96% of similar cities
Portland’s borough government spent $766,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $1,496 per resident.
What stands out about how Portland is run
Read from the borough’s budget and official records.
$1,496 per resident in 2022: more than 96% of them
Portland’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,496 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 574 Pennsylvania cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $483, and the middle half spent $300–$724. Portland spent more than 96% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($418,000), 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 cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Portland itself left out).
About $1,496 per resident a year, or $4.10 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 55%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Portland reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
Who’s in charge in Portland
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Portland’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The borough posts agendas and minutes on portlandpa.com ↗.
Bangor Area School District
Portland’s K–12 school district, shared with Bangor, East Bangor, Roseto, Upper Mount Bethel Township, Washington Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $18,316 per pupil, $10,910 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.
Portland’s votes are counted by county
Pennsylvania reports official results by county and precinct, not by borough, so there are no official results for Portland alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Northampton County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican50.4%89,817 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat48.6%86,655 votesOthers: 1.0% (1,743 votes).
Most votes in Northampton County: Donald J Trump
Pennsylvania: Trump 50.4%, Harris 48.7%
100% of Portland lies in Northampton County. Every 2024 race in Northampton County is on the county’s page.
Northampton 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 Portland.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: portlandpa.com ↗
- 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 Portland compares with the towns next door
Portland spent $1,496 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.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Upper Mount Bethel Township | $555 | $3,784 |
| Portland | $1,496 | — |
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 Portland’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Portland’s government
How much does Portland spend per resident?
About $1,496 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 $1,496 was more than 96% of 574 Pennsylvania cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
Who runs Portland’s government?
See portlandpa.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Portland yet.
How did Portland vote in 2024?
Pennsylvania counts votes by county and precinct, not by borough, so there are no official results for Portland alone. Northampton County, where 100% of Portland lies, voted Trump 50.4%, Harris 48.6% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Portland?
0 full-time and 8 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $19,094 (about $229,128 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Portland in the state legislature?
State Senate District 18 (Lisa Boscola) and State House District 138 (Ann Flood). The House district also covers 14 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Portland’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 →