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Aerial photo of Hope, Kansas 09-04-2013Photo: Ichabod · CC BY-SA 3.0
Town Hall · Hope

How is Hope run?

Hope’s city government spent $200,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $617 per resident. These are Census Bureau estimates: Hope didn’t report its figures, so this page shows them without comparisons.

Town website
Election Day

Today

General election in Kansas.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$200,000
year to December 31, 2022 · Census estimate
Per resident, 2022
$617
Census estimate · not compared
Long-term debt
Not reported
end of 2022 · Census estimate
City staff, 2022
2
full-time · 3 part-time · March payroll $6,671
Typical tax bill
$1,250
1.25% of home value · KS 1.29%

What stands out about how Hope is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

Runs its own water & sewer25% of day-to-day spending goes to water, sewer and trash (a Census estimate).A shared school districtShares Rural Vista Unified School District 481 with 6+ other towns.Lower tax billsThe typical bill is $1,250 a year: 1.25% of the home’s value, vs 1.29% across Kansas.
★ What stands out · Your share of the 2022 budget

About $617 per resident a year, or $1.69 a day

Day-to-day services only (a Census Bureau estimate). The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 22%.

Where the money comes from
Property taxes 47%From the state 24%Sales taxes 23%Utility sales 5%Interest, fines & other 1%Fees & charges 1%
An estimate

Hope didn’t report all of its 2022 figures to the Census Bureau, so most of these numbers are the Bureau’s estimates.

Not in the receipt.With the enterprises, the whole budget was $208,000.
About “Other”.28% of Hope’s day-to-day spending ($55,000) is filed by the Census Bureau outside the named functions above, so the receipt can’t say what it buys.
Compared with similar places · Over the years

No comparison or trend for Hope yet

Every year of Hope’s figures is a Census Bureau estimate: the city reported none of its dollars for 2022. Estimates are shown above, labeled, but never ranked against places that reported or drawn as a trend.

How Town Hall compares budgets →
Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $1,250 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.25% of the home’s value, vs 1.29% across Kansas.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Kansas$2,798
Hope$1,250
$1,250
typical bill a year
1.25%
effective rate
$100,000
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Hope’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 Hope’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Hope →

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Hope

Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.

See cityofhopeks.com for Hope’s current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Hope yet.cityofhopeks.com ↗
Agendas

Hope’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on cityofhopeks.com ↗.

Who works for Hope

One full-time city employee for every 162 residents

On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (324).

By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022

Administration & buildings2 + 1 pt
Courts, inspections & corrections0 + 1 pt
Water & other utilities0 + 1 pt
2
full-time
3
part-time
$6,671
payroll for March 2022
$80,052
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$38,200
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
Not compared.Staff are compared with the same group as the budget, and Hope’s 2022 budget was a Census estimate, so there is no group to compare with.

The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.

The school district

Rural Vista Unified School District 481

Hope’s K–12 school district, shared with Latimer, Township 5, White City, Woodbine, Highland Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Hope →
$16,319
per pupil · KS $14,966
285
students
None
long-term debt

Of the $16,319 per pupil, $8,835 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.

The district: schools, scores and graduation →

Where the district’s money comes from
Local 31%State 58%Federal 11%

Kansas districts overall: 28% local, 61% state, 11% federal.

School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.

Elections · 2024 general election

Hope’s votes are counted by county

Kansas reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Hope alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Dickinson County’s results.

President · Dickinson County’s results9,144 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican76.7%7,014 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat21.8%1,989 votes

Others: 1.5% (141 votes).

Most votes in Dickinson County: Donald J Trump

Kansas: Trump 57.2%, Harris 41.0%

The county’s page

100% of Hope lies in Dickinson County. Every 2024 race in Dickinson County is on the county’s page.

Dickinson County’s 2024 results →
DemocratRepublicanLibertarianIndependent / other

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.

Who represents Hope

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Hope.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Officials: cityofhopeks.com ↗
  2. 2
    Kansas HouseState representatives
    Greg Wilson
  3. 3
    Kansas SenateState senator
    Scott Hill
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
    Laura Kelly
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
    Tracey Mann
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Kansas
    Jerry MoranRoger Marshall

Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.

Reach Hope’s government

The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.

The Handbook →
Official websitecityofhopeks.com ↗

Questions about Hope’s government

How much does Hope spend per resident?

About $617 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, a Census Bureau estimate (Hope didn’t report its figures). With building projects and interest, the whole budget was about $208,000.

What is the property tax rate in Hope?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,250 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.25% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.29% across Kansas. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cityofhopeks.com.

Who runs Hope’s government?

See cityofhopeks.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Hope yet.

How did Hope vote in 2024?

Kansas counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Hope alone. Dickinson County, where 100% of Hope lies, voted Trump 76.7%, Harris 21.8% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Hope?

2 full-time and 3 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $6,671 (about $80,052 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Hope in the state legislature?

State Senate District 24 (Scott Hill) and State House District 70 (Greg Wilson). The House district also covers 45 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Hope’s government

Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.

Town Square →
Ask neighbors

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 (for Hope, the Bureau’s estimates); 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 →