Photo: Public domain · Public domainVan Buren spent more per resident in 2022 than 89% of similar cities
Van Buren’s town government spent $1.2 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $1,481 per resident. Water and other utilities ($298,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Van Buren is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$1,481 per resident in 2022: more than 89% of them
Van Buren’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,481 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. Van Buren spent more than 89% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($327,000), 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 under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Van Buren itself left out).
About $1,481 per resident a year, or $4.06 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 33%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Van Buren reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $496 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.71% 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 Van Buren’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 Van Buren’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Van Buren →
Who’s in charge in Van Buren
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Van Buren’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on vanburenindiana.com ↗.
One full-time town employee for every 136 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 (815).
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.
Eastbrook Community School Corporation
Van Buren’s K–12 school district, shared with Jefferson Township, Matthews, Monroe Township, Upland, Van Buren Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $11,512 per pupil, $6,496 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 Van Buren.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: vanburenindiana.com ↗
- 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.
Reach Van Buren’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Van Buren’s government
How much does Van Buren spend per resident?
About $1,481 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 $1,481 was more than 89% of 363 Indiana cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Van Buren?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $496 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.71% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.74% across Indiana. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see vanburenindiana.com.
Who runs Van Buren’s government?
See vanburenindiana.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Van Buren yet.
How many people work for Van Buren?
6 full-time and 1 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $25,941 (about $311,292 a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Van Buren in the state legislature?
State Senate District 17 (Nick McKinley) and State House District 31 (Lori Goss-Reaves). The House district also covers 26 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Van Buren’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 →