Photo: Smallbones · Public domainAtwood spent more per resident in 2022 than 92% of similar cities
Atwood’s city government spent $1.4 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $1,135 per resident. Water and other utilities ($474,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Atwood is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,135 per resident in 2022: more than 92% of them
Atwood’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,135 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 252 Kansas cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $516, and the middle half spent $249–$749. Atwood spent more than 92% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($177,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Kansas cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Atwood itself left out).
About $1,135 per resident a year, or $3.11 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 22%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Atwood reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
full-time in March 2025, down from 9 in 2022.
The typical homeowner pays $2,258 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.88% of the home’s value, vs 1.29% across Kansas.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Atwood’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 Atwood’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Atwood →
Who’s in charge in Atwood
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Atwood’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on atwoodkansas.com ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 201 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (1,208).
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.
Rawlins County Unified School District 105
Atwood’s K–12 school district, shared with Achilles Township, Atwood Township, Driftwood Township, Herl Township, Herndon and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $16,648 per pupil, $9,981 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.
Kansas districts overall: 28% local, 61% state, 11% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
How Atwood voted in 2024
Official results for Atwood’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Donald J TrumpRepublican81.1%523 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat15.8%102 votesOthers: 3.1% (20 votes).
Most votes in Atwood: Donald J Trump
Rawlins County: Trump 85.1%, Harris 12.5% · Kansas: Trump 57.2%, Harris 41.0%
of Atwood’s 984 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Kansas: 62%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in the district: Tracey Mann
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Atwood, its county and the state
| Trump | Harris | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atwood | 81.1% | 15.8% | 3.1% | 645 |
| Rawlins County | 85.1% | 12.5% | 2.4% | 1,403 |
| Kansas | 57.2% | 41.0% | 1.8% | 1,327,591 |
Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.
Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for Atwood.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: atwoodkansas.com ↗
- 2Kansas HouseState representatives
- 3Kansas SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Kansas
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
Reach Atwood’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Atwood’s government
How much does Atwood spend per resident?
About $1,135 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 $1,135 was more than 92% of 252 Kansas cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Atwood?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,258 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.88% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.29% across Kansas. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see atwoodkansas.com.
Who runs Atwood’s government?
See atwoodkansas.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Atwood yet.
How did Atwood vote in 2024?
For president, Donald J Trump 81.1%, Kamala D Harris 15.8% (645 votes, official results). Rawlins County: Trump 85.1%, Harris 12.5%. Kansas: Trump 57.2%, Harris 41.0%.
How many people work for Atwood?
6 full-time and 8 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $30,385 (about $364,620 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Atwood in the state legislature?
State Senate District 40 (Rick Billinger) and State House District 120 (Adam Smith). The House district also covers 86 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Atwood’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 →