Overview
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is divided into sixty-seven counties, which serve as the principal local government subdivisions within the United States of America. These counties vary widely in population, area, and urbanization, ranging from densely populated metropolitan counties to sparsely settled rural ones.
Philadelphia
The city of Philadelphia occupies the same territory as Philadelphia County. Since 1854 the city and county have operated under a consolidated form of government, with most county-level responsibilities administered by the city government.
Roles and organization
Counties in Pennsylvania perform many routine government functions. Typical responsibilities include:
- maintaining local courts and jail facilities;
- recording deeds, mortgages, and other official records;
- administering elections and voter registration;
- providing public health and social services;
- managing property assessment and tax collection.
Most counties are governed by an elected board (commonly called commissioners) and have additional elected officers such as sheriffs, treasurers, and prothonotary or register of wills, depending on the county.