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Johnson Indiana courthousePhoto: User:Mingusboodle · Public domain
Town Hall · Franklin

Franklin spent more per resident in 2022 than 83% of similar cities

Franklin’s city government spent $17.1 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, about $664 per resident.

Town website
Election Day

Today

General election in Indiana.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2024
$17.1M
year to December 31, 2024
Per resident, 2024
$664
In 2022: $1,496, more than 83% of 18 similar cities
Long-term debt
$1.8M
end of 2024, reported
City staff, 2025
189
full-time · 26 part-time · March payroll $1.1M
Typical tax bill
$1,806
0.78% of home value · IN 0.74%

What stands out about how Franklin is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

Compared with similar places

$1,496 per resident in 2022: more than 83% of them

Franklin’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,496 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 18 Indiana cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,168, and the middle half spent $1,017–$1,438. Franklin spent more than 83% of them.

Middle half of the group, $1,017–$1,438Median $1,168Franklin

Includes sewer and trash ($5.7 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 →

The group
18

Indiana cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Franklin itself left out).

Your share of the 2024 budget

About $664 per resident a year, or $1.82 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: parks & libraries, at 4%.

Where the money comes from
Income taxes 46%Property taxes 40%Fees & charges 6%Other taxes & licenses 4%Interest, fines & other 2%From the state <1%Sales taxes <1%From the federal government <1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $5.6 million; interest on debt $74,000. With these, the whole budget was $22.8 million.
About “Other”.91% of Franklin’s day-to-day spending ($15.6 million) is filed by the Census Bureau outside the named functions above, so the receipt can’t say what it buys.
Over the years

Day-to-day spending is down 56% since 2022

Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Franklin reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.

Day-to-day spending by fiscal year

2022$38.7 million
2023$30.1 million
2024$17.1 million

Per resident: 2022: $1,496 · 2023: $1,183 · 2024: $664.

City staff
189

full-time in March 2025, up from 172 in 2022. Both are Census estimates.

Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $1,806 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.78% of the home’s value, vs 0.74% across Indiana.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Franklin$1,806
Whiteland$1,614
Indiana$1,614
$1,806
typical bill a year
0.78%
effective rate
$231,500
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Franklin

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

See franklin-in.gov for Franklin’s current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Franklin yet.franklin-in.gov ↗
Agendas

Franklin’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on franklin-in.gov ↗.

Who works for Franklin

One full-time city employee for every 136 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 (25,728).

By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025

Police60 + 1 pt
Fire52 + 1 pt
Roads & transportation22 + 1 pt
Parks & libraries15 + 15 pt
Administration & buildings17 + 1 pt
Sewer & trash14
Courts, inspections & corrections4 + 2 pt
Housing & development2
Other3 + 5 pt
189
full-time
26
part-time
$1.1M
payroll for March 2025
$13.6M
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$70,500
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
55
sworn police officers
51
full-time firefighters
Not compared.Staff are compared with the same group as the budget, and Franklin’s 2022 budget was a Census estimate, so there is no group to compare with.

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

Franklin Community School Corporation

Franklin’s K–12 school district, shared with Franklin Township, Needham Township, Union Township. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Franklin →
$13,189
per pupil · IN $13,688
4,883
students
$47.4 million
long-term debt

Of the $13,189 per pupil, $6,974 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 41%State 53%Federal 6%

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

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

Who represents Franklin

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Franklin.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
  2. 2
    Indiana HouseFranklin is split between 2 districts
  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.

Next door

How Franklin compares with the towns next door

Franklin spent $1,496 per resident in 2022; the neighbor that reported 2022 spent $403. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.

Spends the leastSpends the mostEstimate or no figures
TownDay-to-day, per resident (2022)Tax bill
Whiteland$403$1,614
Franklin$1,496$1,806

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 Franklin’s government

The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Franklin’s government

How much does Franklin spend per resident?

About $664 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 $1,496 was more than 83% of 18 Indiana cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Franklin?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,806 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.78% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.74% across Indiana. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see franklin-in.gov.

Who runs Franklin’s government?

See franklin-in.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Franklin yet.

How many people work for Franklin?

189 full-time and 26 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $1.1M (about $13.6M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Franklin in the state legislature?

Franklin is split among 2 State House districts, so your address decides. The Indiana Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Its State Senate district is District 41 (Greg Walker). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Franklin’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 →