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Town Hall · Boulder

How is Boulder run?

Boulder’s city government spent $743,000 on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $576 per resident. These are Census Bureau estimates: Boulder didn’t report its figures, so this page shows them without comparisons.

Election Day

Tomorrow

General election in Montana.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$743,000
year to June 30, 2022 · Census estimate
Per resident, 2022
$576
Census estimate · not compared
Long-term debt
$3.9M
end of FY2022 · Census estimate
City staff, 2025
5
full-time · 14 part-time · March payroll $44,358 · Census estimate
Typical tax bill
$1,834
0.86% of home value · MT 0.72%

What stands out about how Boulder is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

Low bills, a higher rateThe typical bill is $1,834 a year: 0.86% of the home’s value, vs 0.72% across Montana.
★ What stands out · Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $1,834 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.86% of the home’s value, vs 0.72% across Montana.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Montana$2,693
Boulder$1,834
$1,834
typical bill a year
0.86%
effective rate
$212,300
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Boulder’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 Boulder’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Boulder →

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $576 per resident a year, or $1.58 a day

Day-to-day services only (a Census Bureau estimate). The biggest line: police, at 26%.

Where the money comes from
Fees & charges 40%Utility sales 28%Property taxes 20%From the state 9%Interest, fines & other 2%Other taxes & licenses 1%
An estimate

Boulder didn’t report all of its 2022 figures to the Census Bureau, so most of these numbers are the Bureau’s estimates.

Not in the receipt.Interest on debt $146,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $896,000.
About “Other”.57% of Boulder’s day-to-day spending ($423,000) is filed by the Census Bureau outside the named functions above, so the receipt can’t say what it buys.
Compared with similar places · Over the years

No comparison or trend for Boulder yet

Every year of Boulder’s figures is a Census Bureau estimate: the city reported none of its dollars for 2022. Estimates are shown above, labeled, but never ranked against places that reported or drawn as a trend.

How Town Hall compares budgets →
City staff
5

full-time in March 2025, the same as 5 in 2022. Both are Census estimates.

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Boulder

Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.

Check Boulder’s own website for current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Boulder yet.
Who works for Boulder

One full-time city employee for every 258 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 2022 finance file (1,291).

By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025

Roads & transportation2
Police2
Administration & buildings1 + 1 pt
Other0 + 13 pt
5
full-time
14
part-time
$44,358
payroll for March 2025
$532,296
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$75,800
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
2
sworn police officers
Estimates.Boulder didn’t report its staff figures; these are the Census Bureau’s estimates, so they aren’t compared with other towns.

The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.

The school district

Jefferson High School District

Boulder’s high school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Boulder →
$14,801
per pupil · MT $13,570
297
students
$14.1 million
long-term debt

Of the $14,801 per pupil, $9,636 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.

The district: schools, scores and graduation →

Where the district’s money comes from
Local 59%State 33%Federal 9%

Montana districts overall: 44% local, 39% state, 17% federal.

Also serving Boulder

Boulder Elementary School District · $15,795 per pupil

School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.

Elections · 2024 general election

Boulder’s votes are counted by county

Montana reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Boulder alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Jefferson County’s results.

President · Jefferson County’s results8,291 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican66.9%5,544 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat30.3%2,516 votes

Others: 2.8% (231 votes).

Most votes in Jefferson County: Donald J Trump

Montana: Trump 58.4%, Harris 38.5%

The county’s page

100% of Boulder lies in Jefferson County. Every 2024 race in Jefferson County is on the county’s page.

Jefferson County’s 2024 results →
DemocratRepublicanLibertarianIndependent / other

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.

Who represents Boulder

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Boulder.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  2. 2
    Montana HouseState representatives
    Mark Reinschmidt
  3. 3
    Montana SenateState senator
    Becky Beard
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
    Greg Gianforte
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
    Troy Downing
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Montana
    Steve DainesTim Sheehy

Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.

Reach Boulder’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Boulder’s government

How much does Boulder spend per resident?

About $576 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, a Census Bureau estimate (Boulder didn’t report its figures). With building projects and interest, the whole budget was about $896,000.

What is the property tax rate in Boulder?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,834 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.86% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.72% across Montana. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the city’s assessor.

Who runs Boulder’s government?

We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Boulder yet.

How did Boulder vote in 2024?

Montana counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Boulder alone. Jefferson County, where 100% of Boulder lies, voted Trump 66.9%, Harris 30.3% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Boulder?

5 full-time and 14 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $44,358 (about $532,296 a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.

Who represents Boulder in the state legislature?

State Senate District 38 (Becky Beard) and State House District 75 (Mark Reinschmidt). The House district also covers 1 neighboring town. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Boulder’s government

Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.

Town Square →
Ask neighbors

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 (for Boulder, the Bureau’s estimates); 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 →