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Richland, PA (1), Dec. 2023Photo: Mr. Matté (if there is an issue with this image, contact me using this image's Commons talk page, my Commons user talk page, or my English Wikipedia user talk page; I'll know about it a lot faster) · CC BY-SA 4.0
Town Hall · Richland

How is Richland run?

Richland’s borough government spent $688,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $426 per resident. Water and other utilities ($263,000) are counted separately.

Day-to-day spending, 2022
$688,000
year to December 31, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$426
In 2022: $426, less than 58% of 574 similar cities
Long-term debt
Not reported
end of 2022, reported
Borough staff, 2022
3
full-time · 2 part-time · March payroll $16,428
Typical tax bill
$3,283
1.58% of home value · PA 1.30%

What stands out about how Richland is run

Read from the borough’s budget and official records.

★ What stands out · Your share of the 2022 budget

About $426 per resident a year, or $1.17 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 44%.

Where the money comes from
Utility sales 28%Property taxes 25%Income taxes 16%Fees & charges 11%From the federal government 7%Other taxes & licenses 6%From the state 5%Interest, fines & other 2%From other local governments <1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $114,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $1.1 million.
Compared with similar places

$426 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities

Richland’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($426 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 $484, and the middle half spent $300–$726. Richland spent less than 58% of them.

Middle half of the group, $300–$726Median $484Richland

Includes sewer and trash ($132,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →

The group
574

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

Over the years

No trend yet

Richland reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $3,283 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.58% of the home’s value, vs 1.30% across Pennsylvania.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Jackson Township$3,336
Pennsylvania$3,311
Richland$3,283
Millcreek Township$3,125
$3,283
typical bill a year
1.58%
effective rate
$207,300
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Richland

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

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

One full-time borough employee for every 538 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 (1,614).

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

Roads & transportation1 + 2 pt
Administration & buildings1
Water & other utilities1
3
full-time
2
part-time
$16,428
payroll for March 2022
$197,136
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$64,300
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
Compared, 2022.Richland had 1.9 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 379 of the 574 Pennsylvania cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 1.0: Richland had more than 59% 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

Eastern Lebanon County School District

Richland’s K–12 school district, shared with Heidelberg Township, Jackson Township, Millcreek Township, Myerstown. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Richland →
$19,830
per pupil · PA $21,758
2,324
students
$77.7 million
long-term debt

Of the $19,830 per pupil, $11,846 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 66%State 29%Federal 5%

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

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Richland’s votes are counted by county

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

President · Lebanon County’s results73,692 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican65.5%48,282 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat33.6%24,734 votes

Others: 0.9% (676 votes).

Most votes in Lebanon County: Donald J Trump

Pennsylvania: Trump 50.4%, Harris 48.7%

The county’s page

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

Lebanon 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 Richland

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Richland.

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 Richland compares with the towns next door

Richland spent $426 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
Millcreek Township$316$3,125
Jackson Township$489$3,336
Richland$426$3,283

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 Richland’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Richland’s government

How much does Richland spend per resident?

About $426 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 $426 was less than 58% of 574 Pennsylvania cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Richland?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,283 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.58% 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 Richland’s government?

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

How did Richland vote in 2024?

Pennsylvania counts votes by county and precinct, not by borough, so there are no official results for Richland alone. Lebanon County, where 100% of Richland lies, voted Trump 65.5%, Harris 33.6% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Richland?

3 full-time and 2 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $16,428 (about $197,136 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Richland in the state legislature?

State Senate District 48 (Chris Gebhard) and State House District 102 (Russ Diamond). The House district also covers 14 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Richland’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 →