Photo: Douglas Kulp · CC BY 2.0Council Grove spent more per resident in 2022 than 93% of similar cities
Council Grove’s city government spent $2.4 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $1,151 per resident. Water and other utilities ($578,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Council Grove is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,151 per resident in 2022: more than 93% of them
Council Grove’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,151 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. Council Grove spent more than 93% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($271,000), 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; Council Grove itself left out).
About $1,151 per resident a year, or $3.15 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: parks & libraries, at 24%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Council Grove reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
full-time in March 2025, up from 20 in 2022.
The typical homeowner pays $2,142 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.59% 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 Council Grove’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 Council Grove’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Council Grove →
Who’s in charge in Council Grove
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Council Grove’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on councilgrove.com ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 91 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 (2,100).
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.
Morris County Unified School District 417
Council Grove’s K–12 school district, shared with Alta Vista, Dunlap, Dwight, Township 2, Township 9 and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $16,234 per pupil, $9,308 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 Council Grove voted in 2024
Official results for Council Grove’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Donald J TrumpRepublican64.8%627 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat32.9%318 votesOthers: 2.4% (23 votes).
Most votes in Council Grove: Donald J Trump
Morris County: Trump 72.4%, Harris 25.8% · Kansas: Trump 57.2%, Harris 41.0%
of Council Grove’s 1,747 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: Derek Schmidt
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Council Grove, its county and the state
| Trump | Harris | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Council Grove | 64.8% | 32.9% | 2.4% | 968 |
| Morris County | 72.4% | 25.8% | 1.8% | 2,792 |
| 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 Council Grove.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: councilgrove.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.
How Council Grove compares with the towns next door
Council Grove spent $1,151 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Township 2 | estimate | $3,831 |
| Council Grove | $1,151 | $2,142 |
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 Council Grove’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Council Grove’s government
How much does Council Grove spend per resident?
About $1,151 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 $1,151 was more than 93% of 252 Kansas cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Council Grove?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,142 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.59% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.29% across Kansas. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see councilgrove.com.
Who runs Council Grove’s government?
See councilgrove.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Council Grove yet.
How did Council Grove vote in 2024?
For president, Donald J Trump 64.8%, Kamala D Harris 32.9% (968 votes, official results). Morris County: Trump 72.4%, Harris 25.8%. Kansas: Trump 57.2%, Harris 41.0%.
How many people work for Council Grove?
23 full-time and 34 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $129,035 (about $1.5M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Council Grove in the state legislature?
State Senate District 17 (Mike Argabright) and State House District 68 (Nate Butler). The House district also covers 28 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Council Grove’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 →