Photo: Nicholas from Pennsylvania, USA · CC BY 2.0Smethport spent more per resident in 2022 than 89% of similar cities
Smethport’s borough government spent $1.6 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $1,034 per resident. Water and other utilities ($1.5 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Smethport is run
Read from the borough’s budget and official records.
$1,034 per resident in 2022: more than 89% of them
Smethport’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,034 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. Smethport spent more than 89% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($819,000), 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; Smethport itself left out).
About $1,034 per resident a year, or $2.83 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 52%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Smethport reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $1,559 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.34% 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 Smethport’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 Smethport’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Smethport →
Who’s in charge in Smethport
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Smethport’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The borough posts agendas and minutes on smethportpa.org ↗.
One full-time borough employee for every 190 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (1,518).
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.
Smethport Area School District
Smethport’s K–12 school district, shared with Hamlin Township, Keating Township, Norwich Township, Sergeant Township. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $21,174 per pupil, $12,839 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.
Smethport’s votes are counted by county
Pennsylvania reports official results by county and precinct, not by borough, so there are no official results for Smethport alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are McKean County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican73.2%14,401 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat26.0%5,115 votesOthers: 0.8% (166 votes).
Most votes in McKean County: Donald J Trump
Pennsylvania: Trump 50.4%, Harris 48.7%
100% of Smethport lies in McKean County. Every 2024 race in McKean County is on the county’s page.
McKean 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 Smethport.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: smethportpa.org ↗
- 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.
Reach Smethport’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Smethport’s government
How much does Smethport spend per resident?
About $1,034 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 $1,034 was more than 89% of 574 Pennsylvania cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Smethport?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,559 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.34% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.30% across Pennsylvania. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see smethportpa.org.
Who runs Smethport’s government?
See smethportpa.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Smethport yet.
How did Smethport vote in 2024?
Pennsylvania counts votes by county and precinct, not by borough, so there are no official results for Smethport alone. McKean County, where 100% of Smethport lies, voted Trump 73.2%, Harris 26.0% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Smethport?
8 full-time and 10 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $114,911 (about $1.4M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Smethport 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 Smethport’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 →