Cook spent less per resident in 2022 than 71% of similar cities
Cook’s village government spent $247,000 on day-to-day services in the year to July 31, 2022, about $823 per resident. Water and other utilities ($21,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Cook is run
Read from the village’s budget and official records.
$823 per resident in 2022: less than 71% of them
Cook’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($823 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–$1,452. Cook spent less than 71% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($50,000), 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; Cook itself left out).
About $823 per resident a year, or $2.25 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 54%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Cook reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $1,523 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.38% 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 Cook’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 Cook’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Cook →
Who’s in charge in Cook
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time village employee for every 30 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 (300).
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.
Johnson County Central Public Schools
Cook’s K–12 school district, shared with Lorton, Talmage, Tecumseh, Elk Creek, Burr. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $18,988 per pupil, $11,503 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.
Cook’s votes are counted by county
Nebraska reports official results by county and precinct, not by village, so there are no official results for Cook alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Johnson County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican69.5%1,496 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat29.0%625 votesOthers: 1.4% (31 votes).
Most votes in Johnson County: Donald J Trump
Nebraska: Trump 59.3%, Harris 38.9%
100% of Cook lies in Johnson County. Every 2024 race in Johnson County is on the county’s page.
Johnson 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 Cook.
- 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 Cook’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Cook’s government
How much does Cook spend per resident?
About $823 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to July 31, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $823 was less than 71% of 472 Nebraska cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Cook?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,523 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.38% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.49% across Nebraska. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the village’s assessor.
Who runs Cook’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Cook yet.
How did Cook vote in 2024?
Nebraska counts votes by county and precinct, not by village, so there are no official results for Cook alone. Johnson County, where 100% of Cook lies, voted Trump 69.5%, Harris 29.0% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Cook?
10 full-time and 2 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $48,989 (about $587,868 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Cook in the state legislature?
State Senate District 1 (Bob Hallstrom). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Cook’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 →