Photo: Nyttend · Public domainHazard spent more per resident in 2022 than 94% of similar cities
Hazard’s city government spent $11.8 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $2,352 per resident. Water and other utilities ($10.3 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Hazard is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,952 per resident in 2022: more than 94% of them
Hazard’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,952 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 85 Kentucky cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $686, and the middle half spent $519–$957. Hazard spent more than 94% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($1.8 million), 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 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Hazard itself left out).
About $2,352 per resident a year, or $6.44 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 27%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 26% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Hazard 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: $1,952 · 2023: $2,667 · 2024: $2,352. Per resident it went from $1,952 to $2,352 (up 20%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 4,785 to 4,999.
full-time in March 2025, up from 119 in 2022. Both are Census estimates.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $1,408 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.97% 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 Hazard’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.
Tax bills are one input to Hazard’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Hazard →
Who’s in charge in Hazard
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Hazard’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on cityofhazard.com ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 40 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (4,999).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Hazard Independent School District
Hazard’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $15,039 per pupil, $9,729 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.
Perry County School District · $14,787 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Hazard’s votes are counted by county
Kentucky reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Hazard alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Perry County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican79.2%7,913 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat19.7%1,966 votesOthers: 1.1% (113 votes).
Most votes in Perry County: Donald J Trump
Kentucky: Trump 64.5%, Harris 33.9%
100% of Hazard lies in Perry County. Every 2024 race in Perry County is on the county’s page.
Perry 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 Hazard.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: cityofhazard.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.
How Hazard compares with the towns next door
Hazard spent $1,952 per resident in 2022. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Hazard | $1,952 | $1,408 |
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 Hazard’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Hazard’s government
How much does Hazard spend per resident?
About $2,352 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,952 was more than 94% of 85 Kentucky cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Hazard?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,408 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.97% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.75% across Kentucky. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cityofhazard.com.
Who runs Hazard’s government?
See cityofhazard.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Hazard yet.
How did Hazard vote in 2024?
Kentucky counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Hazard alone. Perry County, where 100% of Hazard lies, voted Trump 79.2%, Harris 19.7% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Hazard?
124 full-time and 29 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $410,209 (about $4.9M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Hazard in the state legislature?
State Senate District 30 (Brandon Smith) and State House District 84 (Chris Fugate). The House district also covers four other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Hazard’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 →