Photo: Doug Kerr · CC BY-SA 2.0Stillwater spent more per resident in 2022 than 86% of similar cities
Stillwater’s borough government spent $187,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $921 per resident.
What stands out about how Stillwater is run
Read from the borough’s budget and official records.
$921 per resident in 2022: more than 86% of them
Stillwater’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($921 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. Stillwater spent more than 86% of 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; Stillwater itself left out).
About $921 per resident a year, or $2.52 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 79%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Stillwater reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $2,391 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.28% 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 Stillwater’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 Stillwater’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Stillwater →
Who’s in charge in Stillwater
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Benton Area School District
Stillwater’s K–12 school district, shared with Benton, Benton Township, Fishing Creek Township, Jackson Township, Sugarloaf Township. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $21,173 per pupil, $11,822 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.
Stillwater’s votes are counted by county
Pennsylvania reports official results by county and precinct, not by borough, so there are no official results for Stillwater alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Columbia County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican65.0%21,190 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat34.0%11,083 votesOthers: 0.9% (303 votes).
Most votes in Columbia County: Donald J Trump
Pennsylvania: Trump 50.4%, Harris 48.7%
100% of Stillwater lies in Columbia County. Every 2024 race in Columbia County is on the county’s page.
Columbia 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 Stillwater.
- 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.
Reach Stillwater’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Stillwater’s government
How much does Stillwater spend per resident?
About $921 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 $921 was more than 86% of 574 Pennsylvania cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Stillwater?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,391 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.28% 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 Stillwater’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Stillwater yet.
How did Stillwater vote in 2024?
Pennsylvania counts votes by county and precinct, not by borough, so there are no official results for Stillwater alone. Columbia County, where 100% of Stillwater lies, voted Trump 65.0%, Harris 34.0% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Stillwater?
0 full-time and 8 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $7,973 (about $95,676 a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Stillwater in the state legislature?
State Senate District 27 (Lynda Culver) and State House District 109 (Robert Leadbeter). The House district also covers 32 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Stillwater’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 →