Loomis Historic District · Photo: Dlong417 · CC BY-SA 3.0Merriam spent more per resident in 2022 than 84% of similar cities
Merriam’s city government spent $19.6 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, about $1,784 per resident.
What stands out about how Merriam is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,517 per resident in 2022: more than 84% of them
Merriam’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,517 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–$1,315. Merriam spent more than 84% of 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; Merriam itself left out).
About $1,784 per resident a year, or $4.89 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 28%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 16% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Merriam 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: $1,517 · 2023: $1,675 · 2024: $1,784.
full-time in March 2025, up from 83 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 $3,033 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.15% 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 Merriam’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 Merriam’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Merriam →
Who’s in charge in Merriam
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Merriam’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on Merriam.org ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 123 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 (10,966).
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.
Shawnee Mission Public Schools Unified School District
Merriam’s K–12 school district, shared with Fairway, Mission, Mission Hills, Mission Woods, Prairie Village and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $13,332 per pupil, $8,167 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 Merriam voted in 2024
Official results for Merriam’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat61.1%3,528 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican36.7%2,121 votesOthers: 2.2% (126 votes).
Most votes in Merriam: Kamala D Harris
Johnson County: Harris 53.4%, Trump 44.9% · Kansas: Trump 57.2%, Harris 41.0%
of Merriam’s 8,943 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: Sharice Davids
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Merriam, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Merriam | 61.1% | 36.7% | 2.2% | 5,775 |
| Johnson County | 53.4% | 44.9% | 1.8% | 343,780 |
| Kansas | 41.0% | 57.2% | 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 Merriam.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: Merriam.org ↗
- 2Kansas HouseMerriam 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 Merriam compares with the towns next door
Merriam spent $1,517 per resident in 2022; the neighbor that reported 2022 spent $900. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Overland Park | $900 | $4,364 |
| Shawnee | estimate | $4,105 |
| Merriam | $1,517 | $3,033 |
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 Merriam’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Merriam’s government
How much does Merriam spend per resident?
About $1,784 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 $1,517 was more than 84% of 49 Kansas cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Merriam?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,033 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.15% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.29% across Kansas. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see Merriam.org.
Who runs Merriam’s government?
See Merriam.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Merriam yet.
How did Merriam vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 61.1%, Donald J Trump 36.7% (5,775 votes, official results). Johnson County: Harris 53.4%, Trump 44.9%. Kansas: Trump 57.2%, Harris 41.0%.
How many people work for Merriam?
89 full-time and 76 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $674,301 (about $8.1M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Merriam in the state legislature?
Merriam is split among 2 State House districts and 2 State Senate districts, so your address decides. The Kansas Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Merriam’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 →