Reading the City of Hazleton’s 2015 Proposed Budget got me thinking about spending and waste. These two towns are a good comparison because of population, ethnic diversity, demographics and even physical size. Pottstown’s budget is more than 4 times are large as Hazleton’s, so here are some numbers to ponder courtesy of http://www.CityData.com:
Population:
Hazleton (2012) 25,224
Pottstown (2012) 22,480
Races:
Hazleton –
- White alone – 14,580 (57.9%)
- Hispanic – 9,717 (38.6%)
- Black alone – 422 (1.7%)
Pottstown –
- White alone – 15,377 (68.7%)
- Black alone – 4,147 (18.5%)
- Hispanic – 1,785 (8.0%)
Physical size (land area):
Hazleton is 5.97 square miles
Pottstown is 4.83 square miles
Crime rate – U.S. average = 296.6:
Hazleton (2012) 306.3
Pottstown (2012) 434
Police Department size:
Hazleton – 38 officers, hiring 10 new police officers built in the $9.3 million proposed budget (they think they have a crime problem).
Pottstown -46 officers, (they don’t think they have a crime problem)
Unemployment:
Hazleton – July 2013, 12.8%
Pottstown – July 2013, 6.7%
Population density:
Hazleton – 4,222 people per square mile
Pottstown – 4,655 people per square mile
Municipal Budget:
Hazleton – $9.3 million (2015 Proposed budget)
Pottstown – $44.8 million (2015 Proposed budget)
Cost of living index:
Hazleton – 95.3 (near average, U.S. average is 100)
Pottstown – 103.7 (near average, U.S. average is 100)
Average home value:
Hazleton – $93,389 (2012)
Pottstown – $134,796 (2012)
Average rent:
Hazleton – Median gross rent in 2012: $631
Pottstown – Median gross rent in 2012: $762
Estimated median household income:
Hazleton – $30,492 (2012)
Pottstown – $41,864 (2012)
Registered sex offenders:
Hazleton – there were 10 registered sex offenders living in Hazleton, Pennsylvania as of November 10, 2014
Pottstown – there were 49 registered sex offenders living in Pottstown, Pennsylvania as of November 10, 2014
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