Photo: NASA · Public domainElwood spent less per resident in 2022 than 80% of similar cities
Elwood’s city government spent $247,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $210 per resident. Water and other utilities ($225,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Elwood is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$210 per resident in 2022: less than 80% of them
Elwood’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($210 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 $518, and the middle half spent $259–$751. Elwood spent less than 80% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($78,000), 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; Elwood itself left out).
About $210 per resident a year, or $0.58 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 55%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Elwood reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $949 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.08% 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 Elwood’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 Elwood’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Elwood →
Who’s in charge in Elwood
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Elwood’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on elwoodkansas.com ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 131 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 (1,176).
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.
Riverside Unified School District 114
Elwood’s K–12 school district, shared with Burr Oak Township, Marion Township, Washington Township, Wathena. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $14,179 per pupil, $8,942 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.
Elwood’s votes are counted by county
Kansas reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Elwood alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Doniphan County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican81.0%2,899 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat17.5%626 votesOthers: 1.5% (52 votes).
Most votes in Doniphan County: Donald J Trump
Kansas: Trump 57.2%, Harris 41.0%
100% of Elwood lies in Doniphan County. Every 2024 race in Doniphan County is on the county’s page.
Doniphan 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 Elwood.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: elwoodkansas.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 Elwood compares with the towns next door
Elwood spent $210 per resident in 2022; the neighbor that reported 2022 spent $520. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Wathena | $520 | $1,646 |
| Elwood | $210 | $949 |
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 Elwood’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Elwood’s government
How much does Elwood spend per resident?
About $210 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 $210 was less than 80% of 252 Kansas cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Elwood?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $949 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.08% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.29% across Kansas. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see elwoodkansas.com.
Who runs Elwood’s government?
See elwoodkansas.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Elwood yet.
How did Elwood vote in 2024?
Kansas counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Elwood alone. Doniphan County, where 100% of Elwood lies, voted Trump 81.0%, Harris 17.5% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Elwood?
9 full-time and 9 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $34,062 (about $408,744 a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Elwood in the state legislature?
State Senate District 1 (Craig Bowser) and State House District 63 (Allen Reavis). The House district also covers 29 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Elwood’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 →