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Town Hall · Wilson

Wilson spent more per resident in 2022 than 86% of similar cities

Wilson’s city government spent $688,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $965 per resident. Water and other utilities ($78,000) are counted separately.

Election Day

Today

General election in Kansas.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$688,000
year to December 31, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$965
In 2022: $965, more than 86% of 252 similar cities
Long-term debt
$385,000
end of 2022, reported
City staff, 2022
3
full-time · 8 part-time · March payroll $16,329
Typical tax bill
$1,168
1.54% of home value · KS 1.29%

What stands out about how Wilson is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

Spends more than most similar citiesIn 2022: $965 per resident, more than 86% of 252 similar cities.Runs its own water & sewer29% of day-to-day spending goes to water, sewer and trash (2022).A shared school districtShares Central Plains Unified School District 112 with 6+ other towns.Low bills, a higher rateThe typical bill is $1,168 a year: 1.54% of the home’s value, vs 1.29% across Kansas.
Compared with similar places

$965 per resident in 2022: more than 86% of them

Wilson’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($965 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. Wilson spent more than 86% of them.

Middle half of the group, $249–$749Median $516Wilson

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 →

The group
252

Kansas cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Wilson itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $965 per resident a year, or $2.64 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 21%.

Where the money comes from
Property taxes 31%Fees & charges 22%Interest, fines & other 14%Utility sales 12%Sales taxes 11%From the state 10%Other taxes & licenses <1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $97,000; interest on debt $14,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $892,000.
About “Other”.27% of Wilson’s day-to-day spending ($184,000) is filed by the Census Bureau outside the named functions above, so the receipt can’t say what it buys.
Over the years

No trend yet

Wilson reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $1,168 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.54% of the home’s value, vs 1.29% across Kansas.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Kansas$2,798
Wilson$1,168
$1,168
typical bill a year
1.54%
effective rate
$75,700
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Wilson’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 Wilson’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Wilson →

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Wilson

Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.

Check Wilson’s own website for current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Wilson yet.
Who works for Wilson

One full-time city employee for every 238 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 (713).

By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022

Administration & buildings1 + 6 pt
Police0 + 1 pt
Other2 + 1 pt
3
full-time
8
part-time
$16,329
payroll for March 2022
$195,948
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$51,500
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
Compared, 2022.Wilson had 4.2 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 226 of the 252 Kansas cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 5.1: Wilson had fewer than 54% of them. Same group and year as the budget comparison.

The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.

The school district

Central Plains Unified School District 112

Wilson’s K–12 school district, shared with Bushton, Claflin, Cleveland Township, Dorrance, Farmer Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Wilson →
$8,148
per pupil · KS $14,966
1,071
students
None
long-term debt

Of the $8,148 per pupil, $5,184 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.

The district: schools, scores and graduation →

Where the district’s money comes from
Local 25%State 71%Federal 5%

Kansas districts overall: 28% local, 61% state, 11% federal.

School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.

Elections · 2024 general election

Wilson’s votes are counted by county

Kansas reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Wilson alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Ellsworth County’s results.

President · Ellsworth County’s results2,758 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican75.3%2,078 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat23.1%636 votes

Others: 1.6% (44 votes).

Most votes in Ellsworth County: Donald J Trump

Kansas: Trump 57.2%, Harris 41.0%

The county’s page

100% of Wilson lies in Ellsworth County. Every 2024 race in Ellsworth County is on the county’s page.

Ellsworth County’s 2024 results →
DemocratRepublicanLibertarianIndependent / other

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.

Who represents Wilson

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Wilson.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  2. 2
    Kansas HouseState representatives
    Troy Waymaster
  3. 3
    Kansas SenateState senator
    Tory Marie Blew
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
    Laura Kelly
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
    Tracey Mann
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Kansas
    Jerry MoranRoger Marshall

Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.

Reach Wilson’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Wilson’s government

How much does Wilson spend per resident?

About $965 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 $965 was more than 86% of 252 Kansas cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Wilson?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,168 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.54% 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 Wilson’s government?

We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Wilson yet.

How did Wilson vote in 2024?

Kansas counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Wilson alone. Ellsworth County, where 100% of Wilson lies, voted Trump 75.3%, Harris 23.1% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Wilson?

3 full-time and 8 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $16,329 (about $195,948 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Wilson in the state legislature?

State Senate District 33 (Tory Marie Blew) and State House District 109 (Troy Waymaster). The House district also covers 115 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Wilson’s government

Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.

Town Square →
Ask neighbors

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 →