Photo: Chris Flook · CC BY-SA 4.0How is Austin run?
Austin’s city government spent $4.8 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $1,166 per resident. These are Census Bureau estimates: Austin didn’t report its figures, so this page shows them without comparisons.
What stands out about how Austin is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
Scott County School District 1
Austin’s K–12 school district, shared with Jennings Township. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $11,680 per pupil, $5,999 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.
Indiana districts overall: 33% local, 56% state, 11% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
About $1,166 per resident a year, or $3.19 a day
Day-to-day services only (a Census Bureau estimate). The biggest line: police, at 24%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Austin didn’t report all of its 2022 figures to the Census Bureau, so most of these numbers are the Bureau’s estimates.
No comparison or trend for Austin yet
Every year of Austin’s 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 →full-time in March 2025, up from 24 in 2022.
The typical homeowner pays $465 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.54% of the home’s value, vs 0.74% across Indiana.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Austin’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 Austin’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Austin →
Who’s in charge in Austin
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Austin’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on cityofaustin.in.gov ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 164 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (4,094).
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.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for Austin.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: cityofaustin.in.gov ↗
- 2Indiana HouseState representatives
- 3Indiana SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Indiana
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Austin compares with the towns next door
Austin’s own figures are Census estimates, so it isn’t placed among its neighbors. 1 of the 2 towns next door reported 2022 figures, from $25 per resident. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Jennings Township | $25 | $712 |
| Vienna Township | estimate | $1,244 |
| Austin | estimate | $465 |
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 Austin’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Austin’s government
How much does Austin spend per resident?
About $1,166 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, a Census Bureau estimate (Austin didn’t report its figures). With building projects and interest, the whole budget was about $5 million.
What is the property tax rate in Austin?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $465 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.54% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.74% across Indiana. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cityofaustin.in.gov.
Who runs Austin’s government?
See cityofaustin.in.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Austin yet.
How many people work for Austin?
25 full-time and 6 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $122,407 (about $1.5M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Austin in the state legislature?
State Senate District 43 (Randy Maxwell) and State House District 69 (Jim Lucas). The House district also covers 22 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Austin’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 (for Austin, 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 →