Sinking Spring spent more per resident in 2022 than 78% of similar cities
Sinking Spring’s borough government spent $4.6 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $1,135 per resident.
What stands out about how Sinking Spring is run
Read from the borough’s budget and official records.
$1,135 per resident in 2022: more than 78% of them
Sinking Spring’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,135 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 $856, and the middle half spent $655–$1,093. Sinking Spring spent more than 78% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($1.9 million), 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 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Sinking Spring itself left out).
About $1,135 per resident a year, or $3.11 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 41%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Sinking Spring reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $4,994 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.76% 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 Sinking Spring’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 Sinking Spring’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Sinking Spring →
Who’s in charge in Sinking Spring
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Sinking Spring’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The borough posts agendas and minutes on co.berks.pa.us/sinkingspring/site/default.asp ↗.
One full-time borough employee for every 205 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 (4,095).
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.
Wilson School District
Sinking Spring’s K–12 school district, shared with Lower Heidelberg Township, Spring Township, Wyomissing. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $17,178 per pupil, $11,244 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.
Sinking Spring’s votes are counted by county
Pennsylvania reports official results by county and precinct, not by borough, so there are no official results for Sinking Spring alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Berks County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican55.6%116,677 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat43.4%91,125 votesOthers: 1.0% (2,036 votes).
Most votes in Berks County: Donald J Trump
Pennsylvania: Trump 50.4%, Harris 48.7%
100% of Sinking Spring lies in Berks County. Every 2024 race in Berks County is on the county’s page.
Berks 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 Sinking Spring.
- 1Your cityMayor & council
- 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 Sinking Spring compares with the towns next door
Sinking Spring spent $1,135 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 |
|---|---|---|
| South Heidelberg Township | $676 | $5,046 |
| Lower Heidelberg Township | $909 | $7,526 |
| Spring Township | $1,154 | $4,603 |
| Sinking Spring | $1,135 | $4,994 |
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 Sinking Spring’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Sinking Spring’s government
How much does Sinking Spring spend per resident?
About $1,135 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 $1,135 was more than 78% of 290 Pennsylvania cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Sinking Spring?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $4,994 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.76% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.30% across Pennsylvania. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see co.berks.pa.us/sinkingspring/site/default.asp.
Who runs Sinking Spring’s government?
See co.berks.pa.us/sinkingspring/site/default.asp for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Sinking Spring yet.
How did Sinking Spring vote in 2024?
Pennsylvania counts votes by county and precinct, not by borough, so there are no official results for Sinking Spring alone. Berks County, where 100% of Sinking Spring lies, voted Trump 55.6%, Harris 43.4% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Sinking Spring?
20 full-time and 20 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $93,335 (about $1.1M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Sinking Spring in the state legislature?
State Senate District 11 (Judy Schwank) and State House District 129 (Johanny Cepeda-Freytiz). The House district also covers four other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Sinking Spring’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 →