Photo: Doug Kerr · CC BY-SA 2.0Waterford spent less per resident in 2022 than 70% of similar cities
Waterford’s borough government spent $636,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, about $437 per resident.
What stands out about how Waterford is run
Read from the borough’s budget and official records.
$338 per resident in 2022: less than 70% of them
Waterford’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($338 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 $484, and the middle half spent $300–$726. Waterford spent less than 70% 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; Waterford itself left out).
About $437 per resident a year, or $1.20 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 62%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 26% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Waterford 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: $338 · 2024: $437.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $1,888 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.13% 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 Waterford’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 Waterford’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Waterford →
Who’s in charge in Waterford
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Waterford’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The borough posts agendas and minutes on waterfordboro.net ↗.
One full-time borough employee for every 728 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (1,455).
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.
Fort LeBoeuf School District
Waterford’s K–12 school district, shared with LeBoeuf Township, Mill Village, Summit Township, Waterford Township. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $16,964 per pupil, $10,711 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.
Waterford’s votes are counted by county
Pennsylvania reports official results by county and precinct, not by borough, so there are no official results for Waterford alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Erie County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican50.0%68,866 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat49.0%67,456 votesOthers: 0.9% (1,273 votes).
Most votes in Erie County: Donald J Trump
Pennsylvania: Trump 50.4%, Harris 48.7%
100% of Waterford lies in Erie County. Every 2024 race in Erie County is on the county’s page.
Erie 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 Waterford.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: waterfordboro.net ↗
- 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 Waterford’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Waterford’s government
How much does Waterford spend per resident?
About $437 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $338 was less than 70% of 574 Pennsylvania cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Waterford?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,888 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.13% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.30% across Pennsylvania. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see waterfordboro.net.
Who runs Waterford’s government?
See waterfordboro.net for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Waterford yet.
How did Waterford vote in 2024?
Pennsylvania counts votes by county and precinct, not by borough, so there are no official results for Waterford alone. Erie County, where 100% of Waterford lies, voted Trump 50.0%, Harris 49.0% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Waterford?
2 full-time and 13 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $19,312 (about $231,744 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Waterford in the state legislature?
State Senate District 49 (Dan Laughlin) and State House District 4 (Jake Banta). The House district also covers 24 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Waterford’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 →