Photo: PattiParker · CC BY-SA 3.0South Whitehall Township spent more per resident in 2022 than 88% of similar towns
South Whitehall Township’s town government spent $23.5 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2023, about $1,111 per resident. Water and other utilities ($300,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how South Whitehall Township is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$1,190 per resident in 2022: more than 88% of them
South Whitehall Township’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,190 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 147 Pennsylvania towns and townships of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $717, and the middle half spent $484–$951. South Whitehall Township spent more than 88% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($2.7 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 towns and townships of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; South Whitehall Township itself left out).
About $1,111 per resident a year, or $3.04 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 30%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is down 2% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years South Whitehall Township reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.
Day-to-day spending by fiscal year
Per resident: 2022: $1,190 · 2023: $1,111. Per resident it went from $1,190 to $1,111 (down 7%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 20,031 to 21,135.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $4,872 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.33% 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 Whitehall 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.
Tax bills are one input to South Whitehall Township’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in South Whitehall Township →
Who’s in charge in South Whitehall Township
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
South Whitehall Township’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on southwhitehall.com ↗.
One full-time town employee for every 211 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2023 finance file (21,135).
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.
Parkland School District
South Whitehall Township’s K–12 school district, shared with North Whitehall Township, Upper Macungie Township. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $19,042 per pupil, $12,424 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.
South Whitehall 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 South Whitehall Township alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Lehigh County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat50.7%96,317 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican48.1%91,207 votesOthers: 1.2% (2,286 votes).
Most votes in Lehigh County: Kamala D Harris
Pennsylvania: Trump 50.4%, Harris 48.7%
100% of South Whitehall Township lies in Lehigh County. Every 2024 race in Lehigh County is on the county’s page.
Lehigh 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 Whitehall Township.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: southwhitehall.com ↗
- 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 Whitehall Township compares with the towns next door
South Whitehall Township spent $1,190 per resident in 2022; the 6 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $309 to $1,433. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| North Whitehall Township | $309 | $4,709 |
| Lower Macungie Township | $550 | $5,817 |
| Upper Macungie Township | $948 | $5,021 |
| Salisbury Township | $977 | $4,940 |
| Whitehall Township | $1,174 | $4,466 |
| Allentown | $1,433 | $3,829 |
| South Whitehall Township | $1,190 | $4,872 |
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 Whitehall Township’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about South Whitehall Township’s government
How much does South Whitehall Township spend per resident?
About $1,111 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2023, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,190 was more than 88% of 147 Pennsylvania towns and townships of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in South Whitehall Township?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $4,872 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.33% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.30% across Pennsylvania. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see southwhitehall.com.
Who runs South Whitehall Township’s government?
See southwhitehall.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for South Whitehall Township yet.
How did South Whitehall Township vote in 2024?
Pennsylvania counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for South Whitehall Township alone. Lehigh County, where 100% of South Whitehall Township lies, voted Harris 50.7%, Trump 48.1% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for South Whitehall Township?
100 full-time and 13 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $731,088 (about $8.8M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents South Whitehall Township in the state legislature?
South Whitehall Township is split among 2 State Senate districts, so your address decides. The Pennsylvania Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about South Whitehall 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 →