Photo: Brian Stansberry · CC BY 4.0Columbus spent less per resident in 2022 than 98% of similar cities
Columbus’ city government spent $10,000 on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $67 per resident. Water and other utilities ($43,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Columbus is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$67 per resident in 2022: less than 98% of them
Columbus’ day-to-day spending in 2022 ($67 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 $425, and the middle half spent $240–$721. Columbus spent less than 98% of 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; Columbus itself left out).
About $67 per resident a year, or $0.18 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 100%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Columbus reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $791 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.35% 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 Columbus’ 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 Columbus’ Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Columbus →
Who’s in charge in Columbus
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Hickman County School District
Columbus’ K–12 school district, shared with Clinton. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $14,748 per pupil, $8,547 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.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Columbus’ votes are counted by county
Kentucky reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Columbus alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Hickman County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican80.0%1,656 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat19.0%394 votesOthers: 0.9% (19 votes).
Most votes in Hickman County: Donald J Trump
Kentucky: Trump 64.5%, Harris 33.9%
100% of Columbus lies in Hickman County. Every 2024 race in Hickman County is on the county’s page.
Hickman 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 Columbus.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 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 Columbus’ government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Columbus’ government
How much does Columbus spend per resident?
About $67 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 $67 was less than 98% of 221 Kentucky cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Columbus?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $791 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.35% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.75% across Kentucky. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the city’s assessor.
Who runs Columbus’ government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Columbus yet.
How did Columbus vote in 2024?
Kentucky counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Columbus alone. Hickman County, where 100% of Columbus lies, voted Trump 80.0%, Harris 19.0% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Columbus?
0 full-time and 2 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $2,914 (about $34,968 a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Columbus in the state legislature?
State Senate District 1 (Jason Howell) and State House District 1 (Steven Rudy). The House district also covers 11 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Columbus’ 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 →