Lorraine spent more per resident in 2022 than 82% of similar cities
Lorraine’s city government spent $112,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $896 per resident. Water and other utilities ($19,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Lorraine is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$896 per resident in 2022: more than 82% of them
Lorraine’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($896 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. Lorraine spent more than 82% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($11,000), 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; Lorraine itself left out).
About $896 per resident a year, or $2.45 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 89%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Revenue is well above spending. That usually means Lorraine collects property taxes for the school district and county and passes them on, so only its own spending is counted.
No trend yet
Lorraine reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $1,444 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 2.89% 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 Lorraine’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 Lorraine’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Lorraine →
Who’s in charge in Lorraine
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Lorraine’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on lorrainekansas.com ↗.
Central Plains Unified School District 112
Lorraine’s K–12 school district, shared with Bushton, Claflin, Cleveland Township, Dorrance, Farmer 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.
Lorraine’s votes are counted by county
Kansas reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Lorraine alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Ellsworth County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican75.3%2,078 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat23.1%636 votesOthers: 1.6% (44 votes).
Most votes in Ellsworth County: Donald J Trump
Kansas: Trump 57.2%, Harris 41.0%
100% of Lorraine lies in Ellsworth County. Every 2024 race in Ellsworth County is on the county’s page.
Ellsworth 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 Lorraine.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: lorrainekansas.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.
Reach Lorraine’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Lorraine’s government
How much does Lorraine spend per resident?
About $896 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 $896 was more than 82% of 252 Kansas cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Lorraine?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,444 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 2.89% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.29% across Kansas. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see lorrainekansas.com.
Who runs Lorraine’s government?
See lorrainekansas.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Lorraine yet.
How did Lorraine vote in 2024?
Kansas counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Lorraine alone. Ellsworth County, where 100% of Lorraine lies, voted Trump 75.3%, Harris 23.1% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Lorraine?
0 full-time and 12 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $989 (about $11,868 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Lorraine in the state legislature?
State Senate District 33 (Tory Marie Blew) and State House District 109 (Troy Waymaster). The House district also covers 115 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Lorraine’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 →