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Colfax Carnegie Library from southPhoto: Nyttend · Public domain
Town Hall · Colfax

Colfax spent more per resident in 2022 than 95% of similar cities

Colfax’s town government spent $1.3 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $1,924 per resident. Water and other utilities ($79,000) are counted separately.

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General election in Indiana.

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Day-to-day spending, 2022
$1.3M
year to December 31, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$1,924
In 2022: $1,924, more than 95% of 363 similar cities
Long-term debt
$575,000
end of 2022, reported
Town staff, 2022
7
full-time · 9 part-time · March payroll $53,349 · Census estimate
Typical tax bill
$1,003
0.77% of home value · IN 0.74%

What stands out about how Colfax is run

Read from the town’s budget and official records.

Compared with similar places

$1,924 per resident in 2022: more than 95% of them

Colfax’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,924 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 363 Indiana cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $586, and the middle half spent $292–$960. Colfax spent more than 95% of them.

Middle half of the group, $292–$960Median $586Colfax

Includes sewer and trash ($71,000), 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
363

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

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $1,924 per resident a year, or $5.27 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 17%.

Where the money comes from
From the state 37%Utility sales 33%Fees & charges 27%From other local governments 1%Interest, fines & other 1%Sales taxes 1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $9,000; interest on debt $12,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $1.4 million.
About “Other”.75% of Colfax’s day-to-day spending ($976,000) is filed by the Census Bureau outside the named functions above, so the receipt can’t say what it buys.
Over the years

No trend yet

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

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $1,003 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.77% of the home’s value, vs 0.74% across Indiana.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Indiana$1,614
Colfax$1,003
$1,003
typical bill a year
0.77%
effective rate
$130,100
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Colfax

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

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

One full-time town employee for every 96 residents

On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (673).

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

Administration & buildings0 + 8 pt
Sewer & trash2 + 1 pt
Roads & transportation2
Water & other utilities2
Police1
7
full-time
9
part-time
$53,349
payroll for March 2022
$640,188
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$67,800
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
1
sworn police officers
Estimates.Colfax didn’t report its staff figures; these are the Census Bureau’s estimates, so they aren’t compared with other towns.

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

Clinton Prairie School Corporation

Colfax’s K–12 school district, shared with Jackson Township, Madison Township, Mulberry, Perry Township, Washington Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Colfax →
$15,826
per pupil · IN $13,688
890
students
$3.8 million
long-term debt

Of the $15,826 per pupil, $9,535 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 33%State 62%Federal 6%

Indiana districts overall: 33% local, 56% state, 11% federal.

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

Who represents Colfax

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Colfax.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your townTown government
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  2. 2
    Indiana HouseState representatives
  3. 3
    Indiana SenateState senator
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Indiana

Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.

Reach Colfax’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Colfax’s government

How much does Colfax spend per resident?

About $1,924 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,924 was more than 95% of 363 Indiana cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Colfax?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,003 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.77% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.74% across Indiana. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the town’s assessor.

Who runs Colfax’s government?

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

How many people work for Colfax?

7 full-time and 9 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $53,349 (about $640,188 a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.

Who represents Colfax in the state legislature?

State Senate District 7 (Brian Buchanan) and State House District 41 (Mark Genda). The House district also covers 28 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Colfax’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 →