Photo: Bhall87 · CC BY-SA 3.0Wakarusa Township spent more per resident in 2022 than 80% of similar towns
Wakarusa Township’s town government spent $1.2 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $547 per resident.
What stands out about how Wakarusa Township is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$547 per resident in 2022: more than 80% of them
Wakarusa Township’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($547 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 394 Kansas towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $183, and the middle half spent $65–$454. Wakarusa Township spent more than 80% of them.
Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Kansas towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Wakarusa Township itself left out).
About $547 per resident a year, or $1.50 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 92%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Wakarusa Township reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $4,326 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.13% 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 Wakarusa Township’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 Wakarusa Township’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Wakarusa Township →
Who’s in charge in Wakarusa Township
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time town employee for every 725 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (2,174).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Lawrence Unified School District 497
Wakarusa Township’s K–12 school district, shared with Grant Township, Lawrence, Clinton Township, Willow Springs Township. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $12,393 per pupil, $6,783 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.
Perry Public Schools Unified School District 343 · $14,678 per pupil
Baldwin City Unified School District 348 · $11,610 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Wakarusa Township’s votes are counted by county
Kansas reports official results by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Wakarusa Township alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Douglas County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat68.2%39,582 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican30.2%17,523 votesOthers: 1.6% (936 votes).
Most votes in Douglas County: Kamala D Harris
Kansas: Trump 57.2%, Harris 41.0%
100% of Wakarusa Township lies in Douglas County. Every 2024 race in Douglas County is on the county’s page.
Douglas 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
Wakarusa Township sends 5 representatives to the Kansas House alone.
- 1Your townTown governmentLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 2Kansas HouseWakarusa Township is split between 5 districts
- 3Kansas SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseSplit between districts
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Kansas
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Wakarusa Township compares with the towns next door
Wakarusa Township spent $547 per resident in 2022; the 8 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $58 to $1,611. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Eudora Township | $58 | $4,126 |
| Reno Township | $71 | $5,498 |
| Palmyra Township | $92 | $3,783 |
| Willow Springs Township | $179 | $3,788 |
| Lecompton Township | $182 | $3,579 |
| Clinton Township | $316 | $5,344 |
| Grant Township | $1,035 | $4,371 |
| Lawrence | $1,611 | $3,659 |
| Rural Township | estimate | $2,875 |
| Wakarusa Township | $547 | $4,326 |
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 Wakarusa Township’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Wakarusa Township’s government
How much does Wakarusa Township spend per resident?
About $547 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 $547 was more than 80% of 394 Kansas towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Wakarusa Township?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $4,326 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.13% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.29% across Kansas. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the town’s assessor.
Who runs Wakarusa Township’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Wakarusa Township yet.
How did Wakarusa Township vote in 2024?
Kansas counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Wakarusa Township alone. Douglas County, where 100% of Wakarusa Township lies, voted Harris 68.2%, Trump 30.2% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Wakarusa Township?
3 full-time and 3 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $13,890 (about $166,680 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Wakarusa Township in the state legislature?
Wakarusa Township is split among 5 State House districts and 3 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 Wakarusa Township’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 →