Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to Bridger

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
Bridger, Montana in Carbon CountyPhoto: Tumbleweed1954 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Town Hall · Bridger

Bridger spent more per resident in 2022 than 94% of similar cities

Bridger’s town government spent $946,000 on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $1,230 per resident. Water and other utilities ($114,000) are counted separately.

Election Day

Tomorrow

General election in Montana.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$946,000
year to June 30, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$1,230
In 2022: $1,230, more than 94% of 51 similar cities
Long-term debt
$270,000
end of FY2022, reported
Town staff, 2022
6
full-time · 13 part-time · March payroll $28,677
Typical tax bill
$1,580
0.63% of home value · MT 0.72%

What stands out about how Bridger is run

Read from the town’s budget and official records.

Spends more than most similar citiesIn 2022: $1,230 per resident, more than 94% of 51 similar cities.Runs its own water & sewer28% of day-to-day spending goes to water, sewer and trash (2022).Lower tax billsThe typical bill is $1,580 a year: 0.63% of the home’s value, vs 0.72% across Montana.
Compared with similar places

$1,230 per resident in 2022: more than 94% of them

Bridger’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,230 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 51 Montana cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $804, and the middle half spent $431–$998. Bridger spent more than 94% of them.

Middle half of the group, $431–$998Median $804Bridger

Includes sewer and trash ($179,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →

The group
51

Montana cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Bridger itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $1,230 per resident a year, or $3.37 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 23%.

Where the money comes from
Fees & charges 25%Property taxes 24%From the state 22%Utility sales 17%Other taxes & licenses 7%Interest, fines & other 5%
Not in the receipt.Interest on debt $6,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $1.1 million.
About “Other”.41% of Bridger’s day-to-day spending ($390,000) is filed by the Census Bureau outside the named functions above, so the receipt can’t say what it buys.
Over the years

No trend yet

Bridger reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $1,580 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.63% of the home’s value, vs 0.72% across Montana.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Montana$2,693
Bridger$1,580
$1,580
typical bill a year
0.63%
effective rate
$250,000
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Bridger

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

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

One full-time town employee for every 128 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 (769).

By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022

Administration & buildings1 + 6 pt
Police3
Parks & libraries0 + 4 pt
Water & other utilities2
Courts, inspections & corrections0 + 2 pt
Other0 + 1 pt
6
full-time
13
part-time
$28,677
payroll for March 2022
$344,124
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$40,300
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
3
sworn police officers
Compared, 2022.Bridger had 7.8 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 43 of the 51 Montana cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 5.5: Bridger had more than 70% of them. Same group and year as the budget comparison.

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

Bridger K-12 Schools

Bridger’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Bridger →
$19,462
per pupil · MT $13,570
210
students
$9.6 million
long-term debt

Of the $19,462 per pupil, $11,248 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 62%State 33%Federal 6%

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

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Bridger’s votes are counted by county

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

President · Carbon County’s results7,297 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican64.7%4,719 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat32.2%2,353 votes

Others: 3.1% (225 votes).

Most votes in Carbon County: Donald J Trump

Montana: Trump 58.4%, Harris 38.5%

The county’s page

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

Carbon 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 Bridger

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Bridger.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your townTown government
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  2. 2
    Montana HouseState representatives
    Brad Barker
  3. 3
    Montana SenateState senator
    Forrest Mandeville
  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 Bridger’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Bridger’s government

How much does Bridger spend per resident?

About $1,230 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 $1,230 was more than 94% of 51 Montana cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Bridger?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,580 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.63% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.72% across Montana. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the town’s assessor.

Who runs Bridger’s government?

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

How did Bridger vote in 2024?

Montana counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Bridger alone. Carbon County, where 100% of Bridger lies, voted Trump 64.7%, Harris 32.2% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Bridger?

6 full-time and 13 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $28,677 (about $344,124 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Bridger in the state legislature?

State Senate District 28 (Forrest Mandeville) and State House District 55 (Brad Barker). The House district also covers four other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Bridger’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; 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 →