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Wilber T. Reed HouseWilber T. Reed House · Photo: Ammodramus · CC0
Town Hall · Auburn

Auburn spent less per resident in 2022 than 97% of similar cities

Auburn’s city government spent $3.7 million on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2024, about $1,078 per resident. Water and other utilities ($6 million) are counted separately.

Town website
Election Day

Today

General election in Nebraska.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2024
$3.7M
year to September 30, 2024
Per resident, 2024
$1,078
In 2022: $762, less than 97% of 32 similar cities
Long-term debt
$8.4M
end of FY2024, reported
City staff, 2025
36
full-time · 16 part-time · March payroll $216,410
Typical tax bill
$1,660
1.68% of home value · NE 1.49%

What stands out about how Auburn is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

Compared with similar places

$762 per resident in 2022: less than 97% of them

Auburn’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($762 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 32 Nebraska cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,409, and the middle half spent $1,112–$1,810. Auburn spent less than 97% of them.

Middle half of the group, $1,112–$1,810Median $1,409Auburn

Includes sewer and trash ($390,000), 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
32

Nebraska cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Auburn itself left out).

Your share of the 2024 budget

About $1,078 per resident a year, or $2.95 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 41%.

Where the money comes from
Fees & charges 44%Utility sales 34%From the federal government 7%From the state 4%Property taxes 4%Interest, fines & other 3%Sales taxes 3%From other local governments 1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $3.5 million; interest on debt $169,000; payments to other governments $72,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $13.5 million.
Over the years

Day-to-day spending is up 47% since 2022

Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Auburn reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.

Day-to-day spending by fiscal year

2022$2.5 million
2023$2.7 million
2024$3.7 million

Per resident: 2022: $762 · 2023: $771 · 2024: $1,078. Per resident it went from $762 to $1,078 (up 41%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 3,342 to 3,479.

City staff
36

full-time in March 2025, up from 31 in 2022.

Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $1,660 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.68% of the home’s value, vs 1.49% across Nebraska.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Nebraska$3,549
Auburn$1,660
$1,660
typical bill a year
1.68%
effective rate
$98,800
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Auburn

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

See auburn.ne.gov for Auburn’s current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Auburn yet.auburn.ne.gov ↗
Agendas

Auburn’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on auburn.ne.gov ↗.

Who works for Auburn

One full-time city employee for every 97 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 (3,479).

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

Water & other utilities17
Administration & buildings4 + 8 pt
Roads & transportation3 + 2 pt
Parks & libraries1 + 4 pt
Sewer & trash1
Fire0 + 1 pt
Other10 + 1 pt
36
full-time
16
part-time
$216,410
payroll for March 2025
$2.6M
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$66,600
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
Compared, 2022.Auburn had 9.3 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 24 of the 32 Nebraska cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 8.8: Auburn had more than 58% 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

Auburn Public Schools

Auburn’s K–12 school district, shared with Brownville, Peru, Julian. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Auburn →
$14,204
per pupil · NE $15,602
980
students
$2.8 million
long-term debt

Of the $14,204 per pupil, $9,292 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 54%State 42%Federal 5%

Nebraska districts overall: 56% local, 34% state, 10% federal.

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Auburn’s votes are counted by county

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

President · Nemaha County’s results3,418 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican71.5%2,443 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat26.8%915 votes

Others: 1.8% (60 votes).

Most votes in Nemaha County: Donald J Trump

Nebraska: Trump 59.3%, Harris 38.9%

The county’s page

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

Nemaha 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 Auburn

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Auburn.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
  2. 2
    Nebraska SenateState senator
  3. 3
    GovernorStatewide
  4. 4
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
  5. 5
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Nebraska

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

Reach Auburn’s government

The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Auburn’s government

How much does Auburn spend per resident?

About $1,078 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $762 was less than 97% of 32 Nebraska cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Auburn?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,660 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.68% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.49% across Nebraska. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see auburn.ne.gov.

Who runs Auburn’s government?

See auburn.ne.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Auburn yet.

How did Auburn vote in 2024?

Nebraska counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Auburn alone. Nemaha County, where 100% of Auburn lies, voted Trump 71.5%, Harris 26.8% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Auburn?

36 full-time and 16 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $216,410 (about $2.6M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Auburn in the state legislature?

State Senate District 1 (Bob Hallstrom). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Auburn’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 →