Photo: Famartin · CC BY-SA 4.0Smithsburg spent less per resident in 2022 than 68% of similar cities
Smithsburg’s town government spent $2.5 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $829 per resident. Water and other utilities ($483,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Smithsburg is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$829 per resident in 2022: less than 68% of them
Smithsburg’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($829 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 37 Maryland cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $927, and the middle half spent $721–$1,266. Smithsburg spent less than 68% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($963,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Maryland cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Smithsburg itself left out).
About $829 per resident a year, or $2.27 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 39%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Smithsburg reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $2,728 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.81% of the home’s value, vs 0.97% across Maryland.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Smithsburg’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 Smithsburg’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Smithsburg →
Who’s in charge in Smithsburg
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Smithsburg’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on townofsmithsburg.org ↗.
One full-time town employee for every 186 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 (2,969).
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.
Washington County Public Schools
Smithsburg’s K–12 school district, shared with Boonsboro, Clear Spring, Funkstown, Hagerstown, Hancock and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $17,516 per pupil, $10,487 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.
Maryland districts overall: 47% local, 44% state, 9% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Smithsburg’s votes are counted by county
Maryland reports official results by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Smithsburg alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Washington County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican60.1%44,054 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat37.2%27,260 votesOthers: 2.8% (2,018 votes).
Most votes in Washington County: Donald J Trump
Maryland: Harris 62.6%, Trump 34.1%
100% of Smithsburg lies in Washington County. Every 2024 race in Washington County is on the county’s page.
Washington 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 Smithsburg.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: townofsmithsburg.org ↗
- 2Maryland House of DelegatesState representatives
- 3Maryland SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Maryland
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Smithsburg compares with the towns next door
Smithsburg spent $829 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Smithsburg | $829 | $2,728 |
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 Smithsburg’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Smithsburg’s government
How much does Smithsburg spend per resident?
About $829 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 $829 was less than 68% of 37 Maryland cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Smithsburg?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,728 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.81% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.97% across Maryland. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see townofsmithsburg.org.
Who runs Smithsburg’s government?
See townofsmithsburg.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Smithsburg yet.
How did Smithsburg vote in 2024?
Maryland counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Smithsburg alone. Washington County, where 100% of Smithsburg lies, voted Trump 60.1%, Harris 37.2% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Smithsburg?
16 full-time and 0 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $32,548 (about $390,576 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Smithsburg in the state legislature?
State Senate District 2 (Paul Corderman) and House of Delegates District 2A (William Valentine and William Wivell). The House of Delegates district also covers six other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Smithsburg’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 →