Photo: Nyttend · Public domainCave City spent more per resident in 2022 than 90% of similar cities
Cave City’s city government spent $2.8 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $1,162 per resident.
What stands out about how Cave City is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,162 per resident in 2022: more than 90% of them
Cave City’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,162 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 221 Kentucky cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $419, and the middle half spent $226–$717. Cave City spent more than 90% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($119,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Kentucky cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Cave City itself left out).
About $1,162 per resident a year, or $3.18 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: parks & libraries, at 37%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Cave City reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $869 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.74% of the home’s value, vs 0.75% across Kentucky.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Cave City’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 Cave City’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Cave City →
Who’s in charge in Cave City
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Cave City’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on cavecity.com ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 90 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 (2,426).
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.
Caverna Independent School District
Cave City’s K–12 school district, shared with Horse Cave. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $18,334 per pupil, $9,929 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.
Kentucky districts overall: 37% local, 46% state, 17% federal.
Barren County School District · $14,410 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Cave City’s votes are counted by county
Kentucky reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Cave City alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Barren County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican75.8%15,019 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat23.1%4,565 votesOthers: 1.1% (218 votes).
Most votes in Barren County: Donald J Trump
Kentucky: Trump 64.5%, Harris 33.9%
100% of Cave City lies in Barren County. Every 2024 race in Barren County is on the county’s page.
Barren 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 Cave City.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: cavecity.com ↗
- 2Kentucky HouseState representatives
- 3Kentucky SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Kentucky
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
Reach Cave City’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Cave City’s government
How much does Cave City spend per resident?
About $1,162 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,162 was more than 90% of 221 Kentucky cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Cave City?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $869 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.74% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.75% across Kentucky. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cavecity.com.
Who runs Cave City’s government?
See cavecity.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Cave City yet.
How did Cave City vote in 2024?
Kentucky counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Cave City alone. Barren County, where 100% of Cave City lies, voted Trump 75.8%, Harris 23.1% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Cave City?
27 full-time and 18 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $94,290 (about $1.1M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Cave City in the state legislature?
State Senate District 9 (David Givens) and State House District 23 (Steve Riley). The House district also covers two neighboring towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Cave City’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 →