The Highlands spent less per resident in 2022 than 98% of similar cities
The Highlands’ city government spent $92,000 on day-to-day services in the year to , 2024, about $265 per resident.
What stands out about how The Highlands is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$48 per resident in 2022: less than 98% of them
The Highlands’ day-to-day spending in 2022 ($48 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 $518, and the middle half spent $259–$751. The Highlands spent less than 98% of 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; The Highlands itself left out).
About $265 per resident a year, or $0.73 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 87%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 513% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years The Highlands 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: $48 · 2023: $295 · 2024: $265. Per resident it went from $48 to $265 (up 452%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 313 to 347.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $4,186 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.45% 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 The Highlands’ 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 The Highlands’ Cost of living grade. Cost of living in The Highlands →
Who’s in charge in The Highlands
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Nickerson Unified School District 309
The Highlands’ K–12 school district, shared with Nickerson, South Hutchinson, Willowbrook, Grant Township, Salt Creek Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $16,145 per pupil, $9,852 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.
The Highlands’ votes are counted by county
Kansas reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for The Highlands alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Reno County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican66.2%17,847 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat31.8%8,554 votesOthers: 2.0% (539 votes).
Most votes in Reno County: Donald J Trump
Kansas: Trump 57.2%, Harris 41.0%
100% of The Highlands lies in Reno County. Every 2024 race in Reno County is on the county’s page.
Reno 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 The Highlands.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 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 The Highlands compares with the towns next door
The Highlands spent $48 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Grant Township | $150 | $2,873 |
| East Washington Township | $552 | $4,000 |
| The Highlands | $48 | $4,186 |
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 The Highlands’ government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about The Highlands’ government
How much does The Highlands spend per resident?
About $265 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to , 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $48 was less than 98% of 252 Kansas cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in The Highlands?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $4,186 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.45% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.29% across Kansas. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the city’s assessor.
Who runs The Highlands’ government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for The Highlands yet.
How did The Highlands vote in 2024?
Kansas counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for The Highlands alone. Reno County, where 100% of The Highlands lies, voted Trump 66.2%, Harris 31.8% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for The Highlands?
0 full-time and 1 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $272 (about $3,264 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents The Highlands in the state legislature?
State Senate District 34 (Mike Murphy) and State House District 114 (Kevin Schwertfeger). The House district also covers 73 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about The Highlands’ 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 →