Photo: 25or6to4 · CC BY-SA 4.0Independence spent less per resident in 2022 than 80% of similar cities
Independence’s city government spent $4.8 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, about $568 per resident. Water and other utilities ($1 million) and the airport ($100,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Independence is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$775 per resident in 2022: less than 80% of them
Independence’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($775 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 30 Kansas cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $984, and the middle half spent $797–$1,339. Independence spent less than 80% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($1.4 million), 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 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Independence itself left out).
About $568 per resident a year, or $1.56 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 30%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is down 27% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Independence reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.
Day-to-day spending by fiscal year
Per resident: 2022: $775 · 2023: $990 · 2024: $568.
full-time in March 2025, up from 125 in 2022.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $1,626 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.83% 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 Independence’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.
Tax bills are one input to Independence’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Independence →
Who’s in charge in Independence
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Independence’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on independenceks.gov ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 66 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (8,436).
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.
Independence Unified School District 446
Independence’s K–12 school district, shared with Elk City, Independence Township, Rutland Township, Sycamore Township, West Cherry Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $14,088 per pupil, $8,817 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.
Independence’s votes are counted by county
Kansas reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Independence alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Montgomery County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican74.6%9,287 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat23.6%2,934 votesOthers: 1.8% (220 votes).
Most votes in Montgomery County: Donald J Trump
Kansas: Trump 57.2%, Harris 41.0%
100% of Independence lies in Montgomery County. Every 2024 race in Montgomery County is on the county’s page.
Montgomery 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 Independence.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: independenceks.gov ↗
- 2Kansas HouseIndependence is split between 2 districts
- 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 Independence compares with the towns next door
Independence spent $775 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Independence Township | estimate | $2,347 |
| Sycamore Township | estimate | $2,617 |
| Drum Creek Township | estimate | $2,391 |
| Independence | $775 | $1,626 |
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 Independence’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Independence’s government
How much does Independence spend per resident?
About $568 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $775 was less than 80% of 30 Kansas cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Independence?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,626 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.83% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.29% across Kansas. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see independenceks.gov.
Who runs Independence’s government?
See independenceks.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Independence yet.
How did Independence vote in 2024?
Kansas counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Independence alone. Montgomery County, where 100% of Independence lies, voted Trump 74.6%, Harris 23.6% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Independence?
127 full-time and 7 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $587,767 (about $7.1M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Independence in the state legislature?
Independence is split among 2 State House districts, so your address decides. The Kansas Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Its State Senate district is District 15 (Virgil Peck). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Independence’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 →