Photo: Yahala · CC BY-SA 3.0Bloomington spent less per resident in 2022 than 91% of similar cities
Bloomington’s city government spent $136.2 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, about $1,722 per resident. Water and other utilities ($36.8 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Bloomington is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$710 per resident in 2022: less than 91% of them
Bloomington’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($710 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 34 Indiana cities of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,262, and the middle half spent $1,017–$1,490. Bloomington spent less than 91% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($27.9 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 →
Indiana cities of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Bloomington itself left out).
About $1,722 per resident a year, or $4.72 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 22%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 124% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Bloomington 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: $710 · 2023: $1,503 · 2024: $1,722. Per resident it went from $710 to $1,722 (up 143%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 85,603 to 79,107.
full-time in March 2025, up from 772 in 2022.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $2,602 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.81% 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 Bloomington’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 Bloomington’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Bloomington →
Who’s in charge in Bloomington
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Bloomington’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on bloomington.in.gov ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 93 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (79,107).
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.
Monroe County Community School Corporation
Bloomington’s K–12 school district, shared with Benton Township, Bloomington Township, Clear Creek Township, Indian Creek Township, Perry Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $15,783 per pupil, $8,169 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.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for Bloomington.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: bloomington.in.gov ↗
- 2Indiana HouseBloomington is split between 2 districts
- 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 Bloomington compares with the towns next door
Bloomington spent $710 per resident in 2022; the neighbor that reported 2022 spent $50. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Bloomington Township | $50 | $1,931 |
| Richland Township | estimate | $1,925 |
| Bloomington | $710 | $2,602 |
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 Bloomington’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Bloomington’s government
How much does Bloomington spend per resident?
About $1,722 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $710 was less than 91% of 34 Indiana cities of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Bloomington?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,602 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.81% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.74% across Indiana. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see bloomington.in.gov.
Who runs Bloomington’s government?
See bloomington.in.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Bloomington yet.
How many people work for Bloomington?
851 full-time and 204 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $5.9M (about $70.3M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Bloomington in the state legislature?
Bloomington is split among 2 State House districts, so your address decides. The Indiana Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Its State Senate district is District 40 (Shelli Yoder). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Bloomington’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 →