Photo: Umrok · CC BY-SA 4.0Wilkes-Barre spent more per resident in 2022 than 98% of similar cities
Wilkes-Barre’s city government spent $80.3 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $1,977 per resident.
What stands out about how Wilkes-Barre is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,977 per resident in 2022: more than 98% of them
Wilkes-Barre’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,977 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–$1,268. Wilkes-Barre spent more than 98% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($5 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; Wilkes-Barre itself left out).
About $1,977 per resident a year, or $5.42 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 40%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Wilkes-Barre reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
full-time in March 2025, up from 250 in 2022. Both are Census estimates.
The typical homeowner pays $2,083 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.78% 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 Wilkes-Barre’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 Wilkes-Barre’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Wilkes-Barre →
Who’s in charge in Wilkes-Barre
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Wilkes-Barre’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on wilkes-barre.pa.us ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 151 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (40,597).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Wilkes-Barre Area School District
Wilkes-Barre’s K–12 school district, shared with Bear Creek Township, Bear Creek Village, Buck Township, Laflin, Laurel Run and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $12,925 per pupil, $8,609 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.
Wilkes-Barre’s votes are counted by county
Pennsylvania reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Wilkes-Barre alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Luzerne County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican59.2%92,444 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat40.0%62,504 votesOthers: 0.8% (1,202 votes).
Most votes in Luzerne County: Donald J Trump
Pennsylvania: Trump 50.4%, Harris 48.7%
100% of Wilkes-Barre lies in Luzerne County. Every 2024 race in Luzerne County is on the county’s page.
Luzerne 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 Wilkes-Barre.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: wilkes-barre.pa.us ↗
- 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 Wilkes-Barre compares with the towns next door
Wilkes-Barre spent $1,977 per resident in 2022; the 6 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $530 to $1,501. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Larksville | $530 | $2,545 |
| Edwardsville | $683 | $1,841 |
| Hanover Township | $863 | $2,436 |
| Kingston | $883 | $2,628 |
| Plains Township | $961 | $2,301 |
| Wilkes-Barre Township | $1,501 | $1,750 |
| Wilkes-Barre | $1,977 | $2,083 |
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 Wilkes-Barre’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Wilkes-Barre’s government
How much does Wilkes-Barre spend per resident?
About $1,977 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 $1,977 was more than 98% of 56 Pennsylvania cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Wilkes-Barre?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,083 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.78% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.30% across Pennsylvania. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see wilkes-barre.pa.us.
Who runs Wilkes-Barre’s government?
See wilkes-barre.pa.us for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Wilkes-Barre yet.
How did Wilkes-Barre vote in 2024?
Pennsylvania counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Wilkes-Barre alone. Luzerne County, where 100% of Wilkes-Barre lies, voted Trump 59.2%, Harris 40.0% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Wilkes-Barre?
268 full-time and 5 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $1.8M (about $21.9M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Wilkes-Barre in the state legislature?
State Senate District 22 (Marty Flynn) and State House District 121 (Eddie Pashinski). The House district also covers six other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Wilkes-Barre’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 →