John R. Wright House · Photo: SharonPapierdreams · CC BY-SA 4.0How is McPherson run?
McPherson’s city government spent $12.3 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $946 per resident. That is its newest year reported to the Census Bureau.
What stands out about how McPherson is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
About $946 per resident a year, or $2.59 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 23%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$946 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
McPherson’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($946 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 49 Kansas cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,012, and the middle half spent $786–$1,331. McPherson spent less than 55% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($2.8 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 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; McPherson itself left out).
No trend yet
McPherson reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau (2023, 2024 are estimates), so there is no trend yet.
full-time in March 2025, up from 183 in 2022. Both are Census estimates.
The typical homeowner pays $3,115 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.47% 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 McPherson’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 McPherson’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in McPherson →
Who’s in charge in McPherson
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
McPherson’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on mcphersonks.org ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 64 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (13,013).
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.
McPherson Unified School District 418
McPherson’s K–12 school district, shared with Jackson Township, McPherson Township, King City Township, New Gottland Township, Harper Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $19,856 per pupil, $13,082 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 McPherson voted in 2024
Official results for McPherson’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Donald J TrumpRepublican66.6%4,084 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat31.5%1,935 votesOthers: 1.9% (116 votes).
Most votes in McPherson: Donald J Trump
McPherson County: Trump 69.6%, Harris 28.5% · Kansas: Trump 57.2%, Harris 41.0%
of McPherson’s 10,747 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: Tracey Mann
Whole-district result
President, 2024: McPherson, its county and the state
| Trump | Harris | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| McPherson | 66.6% | 31.5% | 1.9% | 6,135 |
| McPherson County | 69.6% | 28.5% | 1.9% | 14,104 |
| 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 McPherson.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: mcphersonks.org ↗
- 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 McPherson compares with the towns next door
McPherson spent $946 per resident in 2022. Most of its neighbors are townships, a different kind of government, so the like-for-like comparison is with similar cities, above. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| McPherson Township | $532 | $2,951 |
| Jackson Township | $1,230 | $3,438 |
| King City Township | estimate | $4,021 |
| McPherson | $946 | $3,115 |
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 McPherson’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about McPherson’s government
How much does McPherson spend per resident?
About $946 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 $946 was less than 55% of 49 Kansas cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in McPherson?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,115 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.47% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.29% across Kansas. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see mcphersonks.org.
Who runs McPherson’s government?
See mcphersonks.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for McPherson yet.
How did McPherson vote in 2024?
For president, Donald J Trump 66.6%, Kamala D Harris 31.5% (6,135 votes, official results). McPherson County: Trump 69.6%, Harris 28.5%. Kansas: Trump 57.2%, Harris 41.0%.
How many people work for McPherson?
204 full-time and 20 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $1.4M (about $16.4M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents McPherson in the state legislature?
State Senate District 14 (Mike Fagg) and State House District 73 (Rick Wilborn). The House district also covers 20 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about McPherson’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 →