Graves Hotel · Photo: Mike Cline · Public domainHarlowton spent less per resident in 2022 than 82% of similar cities
Harlowton’s city government spent $356,000 on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $357 per resident. That is its newest year reported to the Census Bureau. Water and other utilities ($263,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Harlowton is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$357 per resident in 2022: less than 82% of them
Harlowton’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($357 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 $810, and the middle half spent $497–$1,030. Harlowton spent less than 82% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($74,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Montana cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Harlowton itself left out).
About $357 per resident a year, or $0.98 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: parks & libraries, at 38%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Harlowton reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau (2023, 2024 are estimates), so there is no trend yet.
full-time in March 2025, up from 6 in 2022. Both are Census estimates.
The typical homeowner pays $1,026 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.57% of the home’s value, vs 0.72% across Montana.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Harlowton’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 Harlowton’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Harlowton →
Who’s in charge in Harlowton
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Harlowton’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on harlowtonchamber.com ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 125 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 (998).
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.
Harlowton K-12 Schools
Harlowton’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $18,809 per pupil, $10,936 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.
Montana districts overall: 44% local, 39% state, 17% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Harlowton’s votes are counted by county
Montana reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Harlowton alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Wheatland County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican77.6%843 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat19.2%209 votesOthers: 3.1% (34 votes).
Most votes in Wheatland County: Donald J Trump
Montana: Trump 58.4%, Harris 38.5%
100% of Harlowton lies in Wheatland County. Every 2024 race in Wheatland County is on the county’s page.
Wheatland 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 Harlowton.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: harlowtonchamber.com ↗
- 2Montana HouseState representatives
- 3Montana SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Montana
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
Reach Harlowton’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Harlowton’s government
How much does Harlowton spend per resident?
About $357 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 $357 was less than 82% of 51 Montana cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Harlowton?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,026 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.57% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.72% across Montana. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see harlowtonchamber.com.
Who runs Harlowton’s government?
See harlowtonchamber.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Harlowton yet.
How did Harlowton vote in 2024?
Montana counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Harlowton alone. Wheatland County, where 100% of Harlowton lies, voted Trump 77.6%, Harris 19.2% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Harlowton?
8 full-time and 11 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $38,216 (about $458,592 a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Harlowton in the state legislature?
State Senate District 39 (Wylie Galt) and State House District 78 (Randyn Gregg). The House district also covers nine other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Harlowton’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 →