Photo: Montanabw · CC BY-SA 3.0Polson spent more per resident in 2022 than 73% of similar cities
Polson’s city government spent $5.3 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $974 per resident. Water and other utilities ($721,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Polson is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$996 per resident in 2022: more than 73% of them
Polson’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($996 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 60 Montana cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $842, and the middle half spent $504–$1,018. Polson spent more than 73% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($632,000), 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 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Polson itself left out).
About $974 per resident a year, or $2.67 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 27%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 3% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Polson reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.
Day-to-day spending by fiscal year
Per resident: 2022: $996 · 2023: $973 · 2024: $974. Per resident it went from $996 to $974 (down 2%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 5,181 to 5,478.
full-time in March 2025, up from 33 in 2022.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $2,224 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.62% 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 Polson’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 Polson’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Polson →
Who’s in charge in Polson
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Polson’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on cityofpolson.com ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 152 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (5,478).
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.
Polson Elementary School District
Polson’s elementary school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $12,596 per pupil, $8,536 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.
Polson High School District · $13,660 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Polson’s votes are counted by county
Montana reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Polson alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Lake County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican58.4%9,880 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat38.5%6,510 votesOthers: 3.1% (520 votes).
Most votes in Lake County: Donald J Trump
Montana: Trump 58.4%, Harris 38.5%
100% of Polson lies in Lake County. Every 2024 race in Lake County is on the county’s page.
Lake 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 Polson.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: cityofpolson.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.
How Polson compares with the towns next door
Polson spent $996 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Polson | $996 | $2,224 |
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 Polson’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Polson’s government
How much does Polson spend per resident?
About $974 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $996 was more than 73% of 60 Montana cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Polson?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,224 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.62% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.72% across Montana. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cityofpolson.com.
Who runs Polson’s government?
See cityofpolson.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Polson yet.
How did Polson vote in 2024?
Montana counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Polson alone. Lake County, where 100% of Polson lies, voted Trump 58.4%, Harris 38.5% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Polson?
36 full-time and 27 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $225,706 (about $2.7M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Polson in the state legislature?
State Senate District 7 (Greg Hertz) and State House District 13 (Linda Reksten). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Polson’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 →