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Downtown Winchester IdahoPhoto: Bobjgalindo · CC BY-SA 4.0
Town Hall · Winchester

Winchester spent more per resident in 2022 than 89% of similar cities

Winchester’s city government spent $552,000 on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2022, about $1,243 per resident. Water and other utilities ($159,000) are counted separately.

Election Day

Today

General election in Idaho.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$552,000
year to September 30, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$1,243
In 2022: $1,243, more than 89% of 85 similar cities
Long-term debt
$1.4M
end of FY2022, reported
City staff, 2022
2
full-time · 5 part-time · March payroll $10,523
Typical tax bill
$1,481
0.66% of home value · ID 0.49%

What stands out about how Winchester is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

Spends more than most similar citiesIn 2022: $1,243 per resident, more than 89% of 85 similar cities.Runs its own water & sewer45% of day-to-day spending goes to water, sewer and trash (2022).A shared school districtShares Highland Joint School District 305 with 2 other towns.Low bills, a higher rateThe typical bill is $1,481 a year: 0.66% of the home’s value, vs 0.49% across Idaho.
Compared with similar places

$1,243 per resident in 2022: more than 89% of them

Winchester’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,243 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 $558, and the middle half spent $299–$776. Winchester spent more than 89% of them.

Middle half of the group, $299–$776Median $558Winchester

Includes sewer and trash ($158,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →

The group
85

Idaho cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Winchester itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $1,243 per resident a year, or $3.41 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 49%.

Where the money comes from
Fees & charges 39%Utility sales 34%Property taxes 25%From the state 2%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $2,000; interest on debt $58,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $771,000.
Over the years

No trend yet

Winchester reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $1,481 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.66% of the home’s value, vs 0.49% across Idaho.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Idaho$2,038
Winchester$1,481
$1,481
typical bill a year
0.66%
effective rate
$225,000
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Winchester’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 Winchester’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Winchester →

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Winchester

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

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

One full-time city employee for every 222 residents

On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (444).

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

Administration & buildings1 + 4 pt
Roads & transportation1 + 1 pt
2
full-time
5
part-time
$10,523
payroll for March 2022
$126,276
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$53,400
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
Compared, 2022.Winchester had 4.5 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 72 of the 85 Idaho cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 3.7: Winchester had more than 54% of them. Same group and year as the budget comparison.

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

Highland Joint School District 305

Winchester’s K–12 school district, shared with Craigmont, Reubens. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Winchester →
$21,877
per pupil · ID $11,119
171
students
None
long-term debt

Of the $21,877 per pupil, $11,556 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 21%State 69%Federal 10%

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

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Winchester’s votes are counted by county

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

President · Lewis County’s results1,846 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican81.4%1,503 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat16.5%305 votes

Others: 2.1% (38 votes).

Most votes in Lewis County: Donald J Trump

Idaho: Trump 66.9%, Harris 30.4%

The county’s page

100% of Winchester lies in Lewis County. Every 2024 race in Lewis County is on the county’s page.

Lewis 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 Winchester

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Winchester.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  2. 2
    Idaho HouseState representatives
    Brandon MitchellLori McCann
  3. 3
    Idaho SenateState senator
    Dan Foreman
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
    Brad Little
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
    Russ Fulcher
  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 Winchester’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Winchester’s government

How much does Winchester spend per resident?

About $1,243 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 $1,243 was more than 89% of 85 Idaho cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Winchester?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,481 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.66% 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 Winchester’s government?

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

How did Winchester vote in 2024?

Idaho counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Winchester alone. Lewis County, where 100% of Winchester lies, voted Trump 81.4%, Harris 16.5% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Winchester?

2 full-time and 5 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $10,523 (about $126,276 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Winchester in the state legislature?

State Senate District 6 (Dan Foreman) and State House District 6 (Brandon Mitchell and Lori McCann). The House district also covers 17 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Winchester’s 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; 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 →