Photo: Ransome, F.L. · Public domainHow is Wardner run?
Wardner’s city government spent $86,000 on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2022, about $470 per resident.
What stands out about how Wardner is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
Kellogg Joint School District 391
Wardner’s K–12 school district, shared with Kellogg, Pinehurst, Smelterville. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $13,346 per pupil, $7,183 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.
About $470 per resident a year, or $1.29 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 30%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$470 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
Wardner’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($470 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 85 Idaho cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $561, and the middle half spent $299–$814. Wardner spent less than 54% of them.
Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Idaho cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Wardner itself left out).
No trend yet
Wardner reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $1,558 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.50% 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 Wardner’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. In a town this small the estimate has a wide margin.
Tax bills are one input to Wardner’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Wardner →
Who’s in charge in Wardner
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Wardner’s votes are counted by county
Idaho reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Wardner alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Shoshone County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican73.4%4,500 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat24.0%1,472 votesOthers: 2.6% (160 votes).
Most votes in Shoshone County: Donald J Trump
Idaho: Trump 66.9%, Harris 30.4%
100% of Wardner lies in Shoshone County. Every 2024 race in Shoshone County is on the county’s page.
Shoshone 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 Wardner.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 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 Wardner compares with the towns next door
Wardner spent $470 per resident in 2022; the neighbor that reported 2022 spent $1,501. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Kellogg | $1,501 | $1,538 |
| Wardner | $470 | $1,558 |
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 Wardner’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Wardner’s government
How much does Wardner spend per resident?
About $470 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $470 was less than 54% of 85 Idaho cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Wardner?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,558 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.50% 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 Wardner’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Wardner yet.
How did Wardner vote in 2024?
Idaho counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Wardner alone. Shoshone County, where 100% of Wardner lies, voted Trump 73.4%, Harris 24.0% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Wardner?
0 full-time and 10 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $2,504 (about $30,048 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Wardner in the state legislature?
State Senate District 2 (Phil Hart) and State House District 2 (Dale Hawkins and Heather Scott). The House district also covers 16 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Wardner’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 →