Photo: Ugen64 at English Wikipedia · Public domainHow is Swarthmore run?
Swarthmore’s borough government spent $5.7 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $893 per resident.
What stands out about how Swarthmore is run
Read from the borough’s budget and official records.
About $893 per resident a year, or $2.45 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 29%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$893 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
Swarthmore’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($893 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 $856, and the middle half spent $655–$1,098. Swarthmore spent more than 56% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($1.6 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 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Swarthmore itself left out).
No trend yet
Swarthmore reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
Typical bills top $10,000 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Swarthmore’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 Swarthmore’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Swarthmore →
Who’s in charge in Swarthmore
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Swarthmore’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The borough posts agendas and minutes on swarthmorepa.org ↗.
One full-time borough employee for every 425 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (6,372).
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.
Wallingford-Swarthmore School District
Swarthmore’s K–12 school district, shared with Nether Providence Township, Rose Valley, Rutledge. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $23,671 per pupil, $14,890 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.
Swarthmore’s votes are counted by county
Pennsylvania reports official results by county and precinct, not by borough, so there are no official results for Swarthmore alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Delaware County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat61.3%201,324 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican37.6%123,421 votesOthers: 1.0% (3,427 votes).
Most votes in Delaware County: Kamala D Harris
Pennsylvania: Trump 50.4%, Harris 48.7%
100% of Swarthmore lies in Delaware County. Every 2024 race in Delaware County is on the county’s page.
Delaware 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 Swarthmore.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: swarthmorepa.org ↗
- 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 Swarthmore compares with the towns next door
Swarthmore spent $893 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Nether Providence Township | $858 | $10,000+ |
| Ridley Township | $883 | $6,039 |
| Springfield Township | $1,167 | $7,820 |
| Swarthmore | $893 | $10,000+ |
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 Swarthmore’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Swarthmore’s government
How much does Swarthmore spend per resident?
About $893 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 $893 was more than 56% of 290 Pennsylvania cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
Who runs Swarthmore’s government?
See swarthmorepa.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Swarthmore yet.
How did Swarthmore vote in 2024?
Pennsylvania counts votes by county and precinct, not by borough, so there are no official results for Swarthmore alone. Delaware County, where 100% of Swarthmore lies, voted Harris 61.3%, Trump 37.6% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Swarthmore?
15 full-time and 8 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $132,625 (about $1.6M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Swarthmore in the state legislature?
State Senate District 26 (Tim Kearney) and State House District 165 (Jenn O'Mara). The House district also covers five other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Swarthmore’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 →