Photo: Ken Lund · CC BY-SA 2.0Burley spent more per resident in 2022 than 100% of similar cities
Burley’s city government spent $18.4 million on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2023, about $1,552 per resident. That is its newest year reported to the Census Bureau. Water and other utilities ($11 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Burley is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$2,101 per resident in 2022: more than 100% of them
Burley’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($2,101 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 26 Idaho cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $744, and the middle half spent $677–$923. Burley spent more than 100% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($6.4 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 →
Idaho cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Burley itself left out).
About $1,552 per resident a year, or $4.25 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 35%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is down 18% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Burley 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: $2,101 · 2023: $1,552. Per resident it went from $2,101 to $1,552 (down 26%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 10,712 to 11,863.
full-time in March 2025, down from 86 in 2022. Both are Census estimates.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $1,204 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.52% of the home’s value, vs 0.49% across Idaho.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Burley’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 Burley’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Burley →
Who’s in charge in Burley
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Burley’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on burleyidaho.org ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 140 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 2023 finance file (11,863).
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.
Cassia County Joint School District 151
Burley’s K–12 school district, shared with Albion, Declo, Malta, Oakley. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $11,281 per pupil, $7,028 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.
Idaho districts overall: 21% local, 67% state, 12% federal.
Minidoka County Joint School District 331 · $9,975 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Burley’s votes are counted by county
Idaho reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Burley alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Cassia County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican83.3%7,959 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat14.2%1,359 votesOthers: 2.5% (240 votes).
Most votes in Cassia County: Donald J Trump
Idaho: Trump 66.9%, Harris 30.4%
97% of Burley lies in Cassia County; the rest in Minidoka County. Every 2024 race in Cassia County is on the county’s page.
Cassia 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 Burley.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: burleyidaho.org ↗
- 2Idaho HouseState representatives
- 3Idaho SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Idaho
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Burley compares with the towns next door
Burley spent $2,101 per resident in 2022. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Heyburn | estimate | $1,450 |
| Burley | $2,101 | $1,204 |
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 Burley’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Burley’s government
How much does Burley spend per resident?
About $1,552 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2023, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $2,101 was more than 100% of 26 Idaho cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Burley?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,204 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.52% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.49% across Idaho. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see burleyidaho.org.
Who runs Burley’s government?
See burleyidaho.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Burley yet.
How did Burley vote in 2024?
Idaho counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Burley alone. Cassia County, where 97% of Burley lies, voted Trump 83.3%, Harris 14.2% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Burley?
85 full-time and 26 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $464,101 (about $5.6M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Burley in the state legislature?
State Senate District 27 (Kelly Anthon) and State House District 27 (Clay Handy and Doug Pickett). The House district also covers 10 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Burley’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 →