Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0How is State College run?
State College’s borough government spent $45.9 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2023, about $1,162 per resident.
What stands out about how State College is run
Read from the borough’s budget and official records.
About $1,162 per resident a year, or $3.18 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 26%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,144 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
State College’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,144 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 56 Pennsylvania cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,023, and the middle half spent $879–$1,269. State College spent more than 61% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($10 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 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; State College itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is down 3% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years State College 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: $1,144 · 2023: $1,162.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $4,618 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.05% 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 State College’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 State College’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in State College →
Who’s in charge in State College
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
State College’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The borough posts agendas and minutes on statecollegepa.us ↗.
One full-time borough employee for every 249 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 (39,525).
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.
State College Area School District
State College’s K–12 school district, shared with College Township, Ferguson Township, Halfmoon Township, Harris Township, Patton Township. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $24,249 per pupil, $14,903 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.
State College’s votes are counted by county
Pennsylvania reports official results by county and precinct, not by borough, so there are no official results for State College alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Centre County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat50.9%41,119 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican48.1%38,829 votesOthers: 1.0% (844 votes).
Most votes in Centre County: Kamala D Harris
Pennsylvania: Trump 50.4%, Harris 48.7%
100% of State College lies in Centre County. Every 2024 race in Centre County is on the county’s page.
Centre 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 State College.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: statecollegepa.us ↗
- 2Pennsylvania HouseState College is split between 2 districts
- 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 State College compares with the towns next door
State College spent $1,144 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Ferguson Township | $670 | $4,414 |
| College Township | $768 | $4,451 |
| State College | $1,144 | $4,618 |
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 State College’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about State College’s government
How much does State College spend per resident?
About $1,162 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 $1,144 was more than 61% of 56 Pennsylvania cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in State College?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $4,618 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.05% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.30% across Pennsylvania. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see statecollegepa.us.
Who runs State College’s government?
See statecollegepa.us for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for State College yet.
How did State College vote in 2024?
Pennsylvania counts votes by county and precinct, not by borough, so there are no official results for State College alone. Centre County, where 100% of State College lies, voted Harris 50.9%, Trump 48.1% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for State College?
159 full-time and 19 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $1.0M (about $12.2M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents State College in the state legislature?
State College is split among 2 State House districts, so your address decides. The Pennsylvania Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Its State Senate district is District 25 (Cris Dush). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about State College’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 →