Photo: FatCat96 · CC BY-SA 4.0Jenkins spent more per resident in 2022 than 80% of similar cities
Jenkins’ city government spent $1.7 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $879 per resident. That is its newest year reported to the Census Bureau. Water and other utilities ($539,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Jenkins is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$879 per resident in 2022: more than 80% of them
Jenkins’ day-to-day spending in 2022 ($879 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. Jenkins spent more than 80% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($371,000), 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; Jenkins itself left out).
About $879 per resident a year, or $2.41 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 33%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Jenkins reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau (2024 is an estimate), so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $590 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 Jenkins’ 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 Jenkins’ Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Jenkins →
Who’s in charge in Jenkins
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
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 (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (1,895).
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.
Jenkins Independent School District
Jenkins’ K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $17,037 per pupil, $10,272 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.
Jenkins’ votes are counted by county
Kentucky reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Jenkins alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Letcher County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican81.2%6,848 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat17.3%1,457 votesOthers: 1.5% (126 votes).
Most votes in Letcher County: Donald J Trump
Kentucky: Trump 64.5%, Harris 33.9%
100% of Jenkins lies in Letcher County. Every 2024 race in Letcher County is on the county’s page.
Letcher 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 Jenkins.
- 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.
How Jenkins compares with the towns next door
Jenkins spent $879 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Jenkins | $879 | $590 |
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 Jenkins’ government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Jenkins’ government
How much does Jenkins spend per resident?
About $879 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 $879 was more than 80% of 221 Kentucky cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Jenkins?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $590 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 the city’s assessor.
Who runs Jenkins’ government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Jenkins yet.
How did Jenkins vote in 2024?
Kentucky counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Jenkins alone. Letcher County, where 100% of Jenkins lies, voted Trump 81.2%, Harris 17.3% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Jenkins?
21 full-time and 14 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $68,295 (about $819,540 a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Jenkins in the state legislature?
State Senate District 29 (Scott Madon) and State House District 94 (Mitch Whitaker). The House district also covers five other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Jenkins’ 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 →