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Lava Hot Springs, IdahoPhoto: Decumanus at en.wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0
Town Hall · Lava Hot Springs

How is Lava Hot Springs run?

Lava Hot Springs’ city government spent $821,000 on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2022, about $1,905 per resident. These are Census Bureau estimates: Lava Hot Springs didn’t report its figures, so this page shows them without comparisons.

Day-to-day spending, 2022
$821,000
year to September 30, 2022 · Census estimate
Per resident, 2022
$1,905
Census estimate · not compared
Long-term debt
Not reported
end of FY2022 · Census estimate
City staff, 2022
10
full-time · 4 part-time · March payroll $26,164 · Census estimate
Typical tax bill
$1,242
0.39% of home value · ID 0.49%

What stands out about how Lava Hot Springs is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

Runs its own water & sewer36% of day-to-day spending goes to water, sewer and trash (a Census estimate).A shared school districtShares Marsh Valley Joint School District 21 with 4 other towns.Lower tax billsThe typical bill is $1,242 a year: 0.39% of the home’s value, vs 0.49% across Idaho.
★ What stands out · Your share of the 2022 budget

About $1,905 per resident a year, or $5.22 a day

Day-to-day services only (a Census Bureau estimate). The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 33%.

Where the money comes from
Fees & charges 33%Property taxes 32%From the state 13%Interest, fines & other 13%Utility sales 7%Other taxes & licenses 1%Sales taxes 1%
An estimate

Lava Hot Springs didn’t report all of its 2022 figures to the Census Bureau, so most of these numbers are the Bureau’s estimates.

Not in the receipt.Building projects $285,000; interest on debt $21,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $1.2 million.
Compared with similar places · Over the years

No comparison or trend for Lava Hot Springs yet

Every year of Lava Hot Springs’ figures is a Census Bureau estimate: the city reported none of its dollars for 2022. Estimates are shown above, labeled, but never ranked against places that reported or drawn as a trend.

How Town Hall compares budgets →
Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $1,242 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.39% of the home’s value, vs 0.49% across Idaho.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Idaho$2,038
Lava Hot Springs$1,242
$1,242
typical bill a year
0.39%
effective rate
$316,700
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Lava Hot Springs’ 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. In a town this small the estimate has a wide margin.

Tax bills are one input to Lava Hot Springs’ Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Lava Hot Springs →

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Lava Hot Springs

Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.

Check Lava Hot Springs’ own website for current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Lava Hot Springs yet.
Who works for Lava Hot Springs

One full-time city employee for every 43 residents

On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (431).

By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022

Administration & buildings6 + 1 pt
Parks & libraries0 + 3 pt
Fire1
Police1
Other2
10
full-time
4
part-time
$26,164
payroll for March 2022
$313,968
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$27,600
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
Estimates.Lava Hot Springs didn’t report its staff figures; these are the Census Bureau’s estimates, so they aren’t compared with other towns.

The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.

The school district

Marsh Valley Joint School District 21

Lava Hot Springs’ K–12 school district, shared with Arimo, Downey, Inkom, McCammon. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Lava Hot Springs →
$10,610
per pupil · ID $11,119
1,205
students
None
long-term debt

Of the $10,610 per pupil, $6,100 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.

The district: schools, scores and graduation →

Where the district’s money comes from
Local 18%State 75%Federal 7%

Idaho districts overall: 21% local, 67% state, 12% federal.

School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.

Elections · 2024 general election

Lava Hot Springs’ votes are counted by county

Idaho reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Lava Hot Springs alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Bannock County’s results.

President · Bannock County’s results39,976 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican60.9%24,329 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat35.8%14,306 votes

Others: 3.4% (1,341 votes).

Most votes in Bannock County: Donald J Trump

Idaho: Trump 66.9%, Harris 30.4%

The county’s page

100% of Lava Hot Springs lies in Bannock County. Every 2024 race in Bannock County is on the county’s page.

Bannock County’s 2024 results →
DemocratRepublicanLibertarianIndependent / other

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.

Who represents Lava Hot Springs

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Lava Hot Springs.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  2. 2
    Idaho HouseState representatives
    Josh WheelerMike Veile
  3. 3
    Idaho SenateState senator
    Mark Harris
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
    Brad Little
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
    Michael K. Simpson
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Idaho
    Mike CrapoJames E. Risch

Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.

Reach Lava Hot Springs’ government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Lava Hot Springs’ government

How much does Lava Hot Springs spend per resident?

About $1,905 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2022, a Census Bureau estimate (Lava Hot Springs didn’t report its figures). With building projects and interest, the whole budget was about $1.2 million.

What is the property tax rate in Lava Hot Springs?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,242 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.39% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.49% across Idaho. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the city’s assessor.

Who runs Lava Hot Springs’ government?

We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Lava Hot Springs yet.

How did Lava Hot Springs vote in 2024?

Idaho counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Lava Hot Springs alone. Bannock County, where 100% of Lava Hot Springs lies, voted Trump 60.9%, Harris 35.8% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Lava Hot Springs?

10 full-time and 4 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $26,164 (about $313,968 a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.

Who represents Lava Hot Springs in the state legislature?

State Senate District 35 (Mark Harris) and State House District 35 (Josh Wheeler and Mike Veile). The House district also covers 20 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Lava Hot Springs’ government

Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.

Town Square →
Ask neighbors

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 (for Lava Hot Springs, the Bureau’s estimates); 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 →