Photo: Ammodramus · Public domainClarkson spent more per resident in 2022 than 85% of similar cities
Clarkson’s city government spent $1.1 million on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2022, about $1,822 per resident. Water and other utilities ($116,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Clarkson is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,822 per resident in 2022: more than 85% of them
Clarkson’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,822 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 472 Nebraska cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,038, and the middle half spent $774–$1,450. Clarkson spent more than 85% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($76,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Nebraska cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Clarkson itself left out).
About $1,822 per resident a year, or $4.99 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 62%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Clarkson reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $918 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.09% of the home’s value, vs 1.49% across Nebraska.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Clarkson’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 Clarkson’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Clarkson →
Who’s in charge in Clarkson
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time city employee for every 315 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 (630).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Clarkson Public Schools
Clarkson’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $20,627 per pupil, $11,916 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.
Nebraska districts overall: 56% local, 34% state, 10% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Clarkson’s votes are counted by county
Nebraska reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Clarkson alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Colfax County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican75.0%2,636 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat24.0%845 votesOthers: 1.0% (35 votes).
Most votes in Colfax County: Donald J Trump
Nebraska: Trump 59.3%, Harris 38.9%
100% of Clarkson lies in Colfax County. Every 2024 race in Colfax County is on the county’s page.
Colfax 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 Clarkson.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 2Nebraska SenateState senator
- 3GovernorStatewide
- 4U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 5U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Nebraska
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
Reach Clarkson’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Clarkson’s government
How much does Clarkson spend per resident?
About $1,822 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,822 was more than 85% of 472 Nebraska cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Clarkson?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $918 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.09% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.49% across Nebraska. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the city’s assessor.
Who runs Clarkson’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Clarkson yet.
How did Clarkson vote in 2024?
Nebraska counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Clarkson alone. Colfax County, where 100% of Clarkson lies, voted Trump 75.0%, Harris 24.0% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Clarkson?
2 full-time and 10 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $14,861 (about $178,332 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Clarkson in the state legislature?
State Senate District 23 (Jared Storm). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Clarkson’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 →