Photo: Nyttend · Public domainHow is South Heights run?
South Heights’ borough government spent $247,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $565 per resident.
What stands out about how South Heights is run
Read from the borough’s budget and official records.
Ambridge Area School District
South Heights’ K–12 school district, shared with Ambridge, Baden, Economy, Harmony Township. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $15,947 per pupil, $9,480 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.
About $565 per resident a year, or $1.55 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 28%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$565 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
South Heights’ day-to-day spending in 2022 ($565 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–$726. South Heights spent more than 60% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($41,000), 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; South Heights itself left out).
No trend yet
South Heights reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $1,917 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.36% 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 South Heights’ 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 South Heights’ Cost of living grade. Cost of living in South Heights →
Who’s in charge in South Heights
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
South Heights’ votes are counted by county
Pennsylvania reports official results by county and precinct, not by borough, so there are no official results for South Heights alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Beaver County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican59.9%56,837 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat39.2%37,196 votesOthers: 0.9% (810 votes).
Most votes in Beaver County: Donald J Trump
Pennsylvania: Trump 50.4%, Harris 48.7%
100% of South Heights lies in Beaver County. Every 2024 race in Beaver County is on the county’s page.
Beaver 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 South Heights.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilLocal 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 South Heights compares with the towns next door
South Heights spent $565 per resident in 2022; the 2 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $704 to $725. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Hopewell Township | $704 | $3,063 |
| Ambridge | $725 | $2,190 |
| South Heights | $565 | $1,917 |
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 South Heights’ government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about South Heights’ government
How much does South Heights spend per resident?
About $565 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 $565 was more than 60% of 574 Pennsylvania cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in South Heights?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,917 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.36% 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 South Heights’ government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for South Heights yet.
How did South Heights vote in 2024?
Pennsylvania counts votes by county and precinct, not by borough, so there are no official results for South Heights alone. Beaver County, where 100% of South Heights lies, voted Trump 59.9%, Harris 39.2% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for South Heights?
0 full-time and 15 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $8,538 (about $102,456 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents South Heights in the state legislature?
State Senate District 47 (Elder Vogel) and State House District 16 (Rob Matzie). The House district also covers 12 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about South Heights’ 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 →