Photo: Eric Fredericks from Rancho Cordova, California, United States · CC BY-SA 2.0Idaho Falls spent more per resident in 2022 than 89% of similar cities
Idaho Falls’ city government spent $109.5 million on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2024, about $1,617 per resident. Water and other utilities ($71.6 million) and the airport ($6 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Idaho Falls is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
Who’s in charge in Idaho Falls
From public records with a current term; a name is hidden the day its term ends.
Council members and agencies: idahofallsidaho.gov ↗
Idaho Falls’ meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on idahofallsidaho.gov ↗.
About $1,617 per resident a year, or $4.43 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: fire, at 24%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,278 per resident in 2022: more than 89% of them
Idaho Falls’ day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,278 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 118 Idaho State cities that don’t run their own schools: the median was $668, and the middle half spent $339–$872. Idaho Falls spent more than 89% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($8.5 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 →
Idaho State cities that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Idaho Falls itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is up 34% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Idaho Falls 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: $1,278 · 2023: $1,428 · 2024: $1,617. Per resident it went from $1,278 to $1,617 (up 27%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 64,142 to 67,723.
full-time in March 2025, up from 690 in 2022.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $1,956 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.58% of the home’s value, vs 0.49% across Idaho State.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Idaho Falls’ 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 Idaho Falls’ Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Idaho Falls →
One full-time city employee for every 90 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (67,723).
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.
Idaho Falls School District 91
Idaho Falls’ K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $10,090 per pupil, $6,292 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 State districts overall: 21% local, 67% state, 12% federal.
Bonneville Joint School District 93 · $9,687 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Idaho Falls’ votes are counted by county
Idaho reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Idaho Falls alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Bonneville County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican71.0%40,053 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat25.6%14,458 votesOthers: 3.4% (1,925 votes).
Most votes in Bonneville County: Donald J Trump
Idaho State: Trump 66.9%, Harris 30.4%
100% of Idaho Falls lies in Bonneville County. Every 2024 race in Bonneville County is on the county’s page.
Bonneville 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
Idaho Falls sends 4 representatives to the Idaho House alone.
- 1Your cityMayorLisa Burtenshawas listed by Open States, October 9, 2026
- 2Idaho HouseIdaho Falls is split between 2 districts
- 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 Idaho Falls compares with the towns next door
Idaho Falls spent $1,278 per resident in 2022; the neighbor that reported 2022 spent $458. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Ammon | $458 | $2,033 |
| Idaho Falls | $1,278 | $1,956 |
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 Idaho Falls’ government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Idaho Falls’ government
How much does Idaho Falls spend per resident?
About $1,617 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,278 was more than 89% of 118 Idaho State cities that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Idaho Falls?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,956 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.58% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.49% across Idaho State. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see idahofallsidaho.gov.
Who is the mayor of Idaho Falls?
Lisa Burtenshaw, as listed by Open States (checked October 9, 2026). The council and agencies are listed on idahofallsidaho.gov.
How did Idaho Falls vote in 2024?
Idaho counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Idaho Falls alone. Bonneville County, where 100% of Idaho Falls lies, voted Trump 71.0%, Harris 25.6% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Idaho Falls?
750 full-time and 160 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $5.3M (about $63.5M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Idaho Falls in the state legislature?
Idaho Falls is split among 2 State House districts and 2 State Senate districts, so your address decides. The Idaho Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Idaho Falls’ 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 →