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Hartington, Nebraska Broadway from Court 2Photo: Ammodramus · Public domain
Town Hall · Hartington

How is Hartington run?

Hartington’s city government spent $1.5 million on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2022, about $1,054 per resident. Water and other utilities ($110,000) are counted separately.

Day-to-day spending, 2022
$1.5M
year to September 30, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$1,054
In 2022: $1,054, more than 51% of 472 similar cities
Long-term debt
$1.5M
end of FY2022, reported
City staff, 2022
7
full-time · 7 part-time · March payroll $29,022
Typical tax bill
$1,909
1.07% of home value · NE 1.49%

What stands out about how Hartington is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

★ What stands out · Your share of the 2022 budget

About $1,054 per resident a year, or $2.89 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 24%.

Where the money comes from
Fees & charges 51%Property taxes 18%Other taxes & licenses 12%Interest, fines & other 8%From the state 7%Utility sales 4%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $2 million; interest on debt $54,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $3.8 million.
Compared with similar places

$1,054 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities

Hartington’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,054 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. Hartington spent more than 51% of them.

Middle half of the group, $774–$1,452Median $1,038Hartington

Includes sewer and trash ($365,000), 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
472

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

Over the years

No trend yet

Hartington reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $1,909 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.07% of the home’s value, vs 1.49% across Nebraska.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Nebraska$3,549
Hartington$1,909
$1,909
typical bill a year
1.07%
effective rate
$178,100
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Hartington

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

Check Hartington’s own website for current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Hartington yet.
Who works for Hartington

One full-time city employee for every 210 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 (1,469).

By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022

Parks & libraries2 + 2 pt
Sewer & trash2 + 2 pt
Administration & buildings1 + 1 pt
Housing & development1
Water & other utilities1
Roads & transportation0 + 1 pt
Other0 + 1 pt
7
full-time
7
part-time
$29,022
payroll for March 2022
$348,264
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$42,600
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
Compared, 2022.Hartington had 4.8 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 364 of the 472 Nebraska cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 4.0: Hartington had more than 55% 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

Hartington Newcastle Public Schools

Hartington’s K–12 school district, shared with Fordyce, Maskell, Newcastle, Obert, Hooker Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Hartington →
$20,029
per pupil · NE $15,602
377
students
$5 million
long-term debt

Of the $20,029 per pupil, $11,562 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 67%State 26%Federal 7%

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

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Hartington’s votes are counted by county

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

President · Cedar County’s results4,912 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican84.3%4,141 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat14.3%702 votes

Others: 1.4% (69 votes).

Most votes in Cedar County: Donald J Trump

Nebraska: Trump 59.3%, Harris 38.9%

The county’s page

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

Cedar 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 Hartington

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Hartington.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  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 Hartington’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Hartington’s government

How much does Hartington spend per resident?

About $1,054 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 $1,054 was more than 51% of 472 Nebraska cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Hartington?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,909 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.07% 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 Hartington’s government?

We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Hartington yet.

How did Hartington vote in 2024?

Nebraska counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Hartington alone. Cedar County, where 100% of Hartington lies, voted Trump 84.3%, Harris 14.3% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Hartington?

7 full-time and 7 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $29,022 (about $348,264 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Hartington in the state legislature?

State Senate District 40 (Barry DeKay). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Hartington’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 →