Photo: Tysto · Public domainSyracuse spent more per resident in 2022 than 89% of similar cities
Syracuse’s town government spent $8.3 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, about $2,700 per resident. Water and other utilities ($557,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Syracuse is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$1,971 per resident in 2022: more than 89% of them
Syracuse’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,971 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 89 Indiana cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,137, and the middle half spent $754–$1,419. Syracuse spent more than 89% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($753,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Indiana cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Syracuse itself left out).
About $2,700 per resident a year, or $7.40 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 17%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 48% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Syracuse 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: $1,971 · 2024: $2,700. Per resident it went from $1,971 to $2,700 (up 37%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 2,856 to 3,081.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $1,018 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.51% 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 Syracuse’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 Syracuse’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Syracuse →
Who’s in charge in Syracuse
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Syracuse’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on syracusein.org ↗.
One full-time town employee for every 93 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (3,081).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Wawasee Community School Corporation
Syracuse’s K–12 school district, shared with Milford, North Webster, Tippecanoe Township, Turkey Creek Township, Van Buren Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $13,942 per pupil, $8,147 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.
Fairfield Community Schools · $11,880 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for Syracuse.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: syracusein.org ↗
- 2Indiana HouseState representatives
- 3Indiana SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseSplit between districts
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Indiana
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
Reach Syracuse’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Syracuse’s government
How much does Syracuse spend per resident?
About $2,700 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 $1,971 was more than 89% of 89 Indiana cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Syracuse?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,018 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.51% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.74% across Indiana. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see syracusein.org.
Who runs Syracuse’s government?
See syracusein.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Syracuse yet.
How many people work for Syracuse?
33 full-time and 6 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $166,513 (about $2.0M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Syracuse in the state legislature?
State Senate District 9 (Ryan Mishler) and State House District 18 (David Abbott). The House district also covers 31 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Syracuse’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 →