Photo: Quint2724 · CC BY-SA 4.0Westwood spent more per resident in 2022 than 96% of similar cities
Westwood’s city government spent $3.6 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, about $2,047 per resident.
What stands out about how Westwood is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,354 per resident in 2022: more than 96% of them
Westwood’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,354 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. Westwood spent more than 96% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($147,000), 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; Westwood itself left out).
About $2,047 per resident a year, or $5.61 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 30%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 60% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Westwood 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: $1,354 · 2024: $2,047. Per resident it went from $1,354 to $2,047 (up 51%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 1,642 to 1,736.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $4,278 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.06% 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 Westwood’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 Westwood’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Westwood →
Who’s in charge in Westwood
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Westwood’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on WestwoodKS.org ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 124 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (1,736).
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.
Shawnee Mission Public Schools Unified School District
Westwood’s K–12 school district, shared with Fairway, Merriam, Mission, Mission Hills, Mission Woods 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 Westwood voted in 2024
Official results for Westwood’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat73.6%816 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican24.5%271 votesOthers: 1.9% (21 votes).
Most votes in Westwood: Kamala D Harris
Johnson County: Harris 53.4%, Trump 44.9% · Kansas: Trump 57.2%, Harris 41.0%
of Westwood’s 1,529 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: Westwood, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Westwood | 73.6% | 24.5% | 1.9% | 1,108 |
| 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 Westwood.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: WestwoodKS.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 Westwood compares with the towns next door
Westwood spent $1,354 per resident in 2022; the 2 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $705 to $786. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Westwood Hills | $705 | $6,185 |
| Fairway | $786 | $7,192 |
| Roeland Park | estimate | $3,671 |
| Westwood | $1,354 | $4,278 |
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 Westwood’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Westwood’s government
How much does Westwood spend per resident?
About $2,047 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 $1,354 was more than 96% of 252 Kansas cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Westwood?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $4,278 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.06% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.29% across Kansas. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see WestwoodKS.org.
Who runs Westwood’s government?
See WestwoodKS.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Westwood yet.
How did Westwood vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 73.6%, Donald J Trump 24.5% (1,108 votes, official results). Johnson County: Harris 53.4%, Trump 44.9%. Kansas: Trump 57.2%, Harris 41.0%.
How many people work for Westwood?
14 full-time and 1 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $91,712 (about $1.1M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Westwood in the state legislature?
State Senate District 7 (Ethan Corson) and State House District 25 (Rui Xu). The House district also covers seven other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Westwood’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 →