Photo: Jakec · CC BY-SA 4.0Sunbury spent less per resident in 2022 than 93% of similar cities
Sunbury’s city government spent $4.4 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $473 per resident.
What stands out about how Sunbury is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$473 per resident in 2022: less than 93% of them
Sunbury’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($473 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 290 Pennsylvania cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $858, and the middle half spent $663–$1,098. Sunbury spent less than 93% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($2,000), 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 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Sunbury itself left out).
About $473 per resident a year, or $1.30 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 19%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Sunbury reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $1,444 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.35% 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 Sunbury’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 Sunbury’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Sunbury →
Who’s in charge in Sunbury
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Sunbury’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on riveroflifesunbury.com ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 388 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (9,322).
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.
Shikellamy School District
Sunbury’s K–12 school district, shared with Northumberland, Point Township, Rockefeller Township, Snydertown, Upper Augusta Township. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $14,364 per pupil, $9,239 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.
Sunbury’s votes are counted by county
Pennsylvania reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Sunbury alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Northumberland County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican69.5%30,240 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat29.6%12,863 votesOthers: 1.0% (419 votes).
Most votes in Northumberland County: Donald J Trump
Pennsylvania: Trump 50.4%, Harris 48.7%
100% of Sunbury lies in Northumberland County. Every 2024 race in Northumberland County is on the county’s page.
Northumberland 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 Sunbury.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: riveroflifesunbury.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.
Reach Sunbury’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Sunbury’s government
How much does Sunbury spend per resident?
About $473 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 $473 was less than 93% of 290 Pennsylvania cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Sunbury?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,444 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.35% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.30% across Pennsylvania. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see riveroflifesunbury.com.
Who runs Sunbury’s government?
See riveroflifesunbury.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Sunbury yet.
How did Sunbury vote in 2024?
Pennsylvania counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Sunbury alone. Northumberland County, where 100% of Sunbury lies, voted Trump 69.5%, Harris 29.6% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Sunbury?
24 full-time and 27 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $135,539 (about $1.6M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Sunbury in the state legislature?
State Senate District 27 (Lynda Culver) and State House District 108 (Michael Stender). The House district also covers 27 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Sunbury’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 →