Preston Township spent more per resident in 2022 than 70% of similar towns
Preston Township’s town government spent $548,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $546 per resident.
What stands out about how Preston Township is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$546 per resident in 2022: more than 70% of them
Preston Township’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($546 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. Preston Township spent more than 70% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($9,000), 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; Preston Township itself left out).
About $546 per resident a year, or $1.50 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 61%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Preston Township reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $3,500 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.51% 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 Preston 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 Preston Township’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Preston Township →
Who’s in charge in Preston Township
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time town employee for every 334 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (1,003).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Wayne Highlands School District
Preston Township’s K–12 school district, shared with Berlin Township, Bethany, Buckingham Township, Cherry Ridge Township, Damascus Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $24,051 per pupil, $14,984 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.
Preston 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 Preston Township alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Wayne County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican68.2%20,071 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat31.1%9,150 votesOthers: 0.8% (223 votes).
Most votes in Wayne County: Donald J Trump
Pennsylvania: Trump 50.4%, Harris 48.7%
100% of Preston Township lies in Wayne County. Every 2024 race in Wayne County is on the county’s page.
Wayne 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 Preston 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 Preston Township compares with the towns next door
Preston Township spent $546 per resident in 2022; the 4 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $380 to $1,061. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Mount Pleasant Township | $380 | $3,648 |
| Scott Township | $620 | $2,682 |
| Buckingham Township | $717 | $3,167 |
| Thompson Township | $1,061 | $3,013 |
| Starrucca | estimate | $2,458 |
| Preston Township | $546 | $3,500 |
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 Preston Township’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Preston Township’s government
How much does Preston Township spend per resident?
About $546 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 $546 was more than 70% of 839 Pennsylvania towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Preston Township?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,500 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.51% 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 Preston Township’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Preston Township yet.
How did Preston Township vote in 2024?
Pennsylvania counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Preston Township alone. Wayne County, where 100% of Preston Township lies, voted Trump 68.2%, Harris 31.1% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Preston Township?
3 full-time and 3 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $12,805 (about $153,660 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Preston Township in the state legislature?
State Senate District 20 (Lisa Baker) and State House District 111 (Jonathan Fritz). The House district also covers 57 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Preston 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 →