Photo: Unknown authorUnknown author · Public domainClaflin spent more per resident in 2022 than 96% of similar cities
Claflin’s city government spent $767,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $1,293 per resident. That is its newest year reported to the Census Bureau.
What stands out about how Claflin is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,293 per resident in 2022: more than 96% of them
Claflin’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,293 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. Claflin spent more than 96% of 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; Claflin itself left out).
About $1,293 per resident a year, or $3.54 a day
Day-to-day services only.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Claflin reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau (2024 is an estimate), so there is no trend yet.
full-time in March 2025, down from 3 in 2022. Both are Census estimates.
The typical homeowner pays $2,000 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.86% 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 Claflin’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 Claflin’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Claflin →
Who’s in charge in Claflin
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time city employee for every 297 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (593).
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.
Central Plains Unified School District 112
Claflin’s K–12 school district, shared with Bushton, Cleveland Township, Dorrance, Farmer Township, Green Garden Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $8,148 per pupil, $5,184 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.
Claflin’s votes are counted by county
Kansas reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Claflin alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Barton County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican77.6%8,205 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat20.9%2,207 votesOthers: 1.5% (158 votes).
Most votes in Barton County: Donald J Trump
Kansas: Trump 57.2%, Harris 41.0%
100% of Claflin lies in Barton County. Every 2024 race in Barton County is on the county’s page.
Barton County’s 2024 results →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 Claflin.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 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.
How Claflin compares with the towns next door
Claflin spent $1,293 per resident in 2022. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Independent Township | estimate | $2,000 |
| Logan Township | estimate | $2,457 |
| Claflin | $1,293 | $2,000 |
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 Claflin’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Claflin’s government
How much does Claflin spend per resident?
About $1,293 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 $1,293 was more than 96% of 252 Kansas cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Claflin?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,000 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.86% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.29% across Kansas. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the city’s assessor.
Who runs Claflin’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Claflin yet.
How did Claflin vote in 2024?
Kansas counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Claflin alone. Barton County, where 100% of Claflin lies, voted Trump 77.6%, Harris 20.9% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Claflin?
2 full-time and 9 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $14,701 (about $176,412 a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Claflin in the state legislature?
State Senate District 33 (Tory Marie Blew) and State House District 112 (Sherri Brantley). The House district also covers 26 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Claflin’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 →