Empire School · Photo: Ntsimp · CC0Rupert spent more per resident in 2022 than 87% of similar cities
Rupert’s city government spent $8.4 million on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2023, about $1,382 per resident. That is its newest year reported to the Census Bureau. Water and other utilities ($7.5 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Rupert is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$929 per resident in 2022: more than 87% of them
Rupert’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($929 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 15 Idaho cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $742, and the middle half spent $698–$798. Rupert spent more than 87% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($2.5 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 cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Rupert itself left out).
About $1,382 per resident a year, or $3.79 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 39%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 52% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Rupert 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: $929 · 2023: $1,382.
full-time in March 2025, the same as 56 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 $992 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.48% 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 Rupert’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 Rupert’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Rupert →
Who’s in charge in Rupert
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Rupert’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on rupert-idaho.com/index.html ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 109 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2023 finance file (6,099).
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.
Minidoka County Joint School District 331
Rupert’s K–12 school district, shared with Acequia, Heyburn, Minidoka, Paul. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $9,975 per pupil, $5,866 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.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Rupert’s votes are counted by county
Idaho reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Rupert alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Minidoka County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican80.5%6,401 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat17.3%1,373 votesOthers: 2.2% (174 votes).
Most votes in Minidoka County: Donald J Trump
Idaho: Trump 66.9%, Harris 30.4%
100% of Rupert lies in Minidoka County. Every 2024 race in Minidoka County is on the county’s page.
Minidoka 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 Rupert.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: rupert-idaho.com/index.html ↗
- 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.
Reach Rupert’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Rupert’s government
How much does Rupert spend per resident?
About $1,382 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 $929 was more than 87% of 15 Idaho cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Rupert?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $992 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.48% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.49% across Idaho. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see rupert-idaho.com/index.html.
Who runs Rupert’s government?
See rupert-idaho.com/index.html for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Rupert yet.
How did Rupert vote in 2024?
Idaho counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Rupert alone. Minidoka County, where 100% of Rupert lies, voted Trump 80.5%, Harris 17.3% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Rupert?
56 full-time and 36 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $286,891 (about $3.4M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Rupert 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 Rupert’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 →