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Harvard, Nebraska downtown 1Photo: Ammodramus · Public domain
Town Hall · Harvard

Harvard spent more per resident in 2022 than 93% of similar cities

Harvard’s city government spent $2.7 million on day-to-day services in the year to July 31, 2022, about $2,793 per resident. Water and other utilities ($167,000) are counted separately.

Election Day

Tomorrow

General election in Nebraska.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$2.7M
year to July 31, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$2,793
In 2022: $2,793, more than 93% of 472 similar cities
Long-term debt
$1.1M
end of FY2022, reported
City staff, 2022
5
full-time · 3 part-time · March payroll $24,008
Typical tax bill
$1,662
1.63% of home value · NE 1.49%

What stands out about how Harvard is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

Spends more than most similar citiesIn 2022: $2,793 per resident, more than 93% of 472 similar cities.A shared school districtShares Harvard Public Schools with 4 other towns.Low bills, a higher rateThe typical bill is $1,662 a year: 1.63% of the home’s value, vs 1.49% across Nebraska.
Compared with similar places

$2,793 per resident in 2022: more than 93% of them

Harvard’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($2,793 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. Harvard spent more than 93% of them.

Middle half of the group, $774–$1,450Median $1,038Harvard

Includes sewer and trash ($158,000), 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; Harvard itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $2,793 per resident a year, or $7.65 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: health & welfare, at 52%.

Where the money comes from
From the state 26%Property taxes 23%Fees & charges 23%Utility sales 21%Sales taxes 4%From other local governments 1%Interest, fines & other 1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $820,000; interest on debt $18,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $3.7 million.
Over the years

No trend yet

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

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $1,662 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.63% of the home’s value, vs 1.49% across Nebraska.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Nebraska$3,549
Harvard$1,662
$1,662
typical bill a year
1.63%
effective rate
$102,100
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Harvard

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

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

One full-time city employee for every 193 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 (966).

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

Police2
Administration & buildings0 + 2 pt
Roads & transportation1
Sewer & trash1
Water & other utilities1
Parks & libraries0 + 1 pt
5
full-time
3
part-time
$24,008
payroll for March 2022
$288,096
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$55,700
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
2
sworn police officers
Compared, 2022.Harvard had 5.2 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: Harvard had more than 59% 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

Harvard Public Schools

Harvard’s K–12 school district, shared with Harvard Township, Lynn Township, Eldorado Township, Leicester Township. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Harvard →
$24,447
per pupil · NE $15,602
208
students
$13,000
long-term debt

Of the $24,447 per pupil, $15,957 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 58%State 27%Federal 14%

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

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Harvard’s votes are counted by county

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

President · Clay County’s results3,310 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican80.9%2,677 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat17.4%577 votes

Others: 1.7% (56 votes).

Most votes in Clay County: Donald J Trump

Nebraska: Trump 59.3%, Harris 38.9%

The county’s page

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

Clay 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 Harvard

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Harvard.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  2. 2
    Nebraska SenateState senator
    Dave Murman
  3. 3
    GovernorStatewide
    Jim Pillen
  4. 4
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
    Adrian Smith
  5. 5
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Nebraska
    Deb FischerPete Ricketts

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

Reach Harvard’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Harvard’s government

How much does Harvard spend per resident?

About $2,793 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 $2,793 was more than 93% of 472 Nebraska cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Harvard?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,662 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.63% 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 Harvard’s government?

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

How did Harvard vote in 2024?

Nebraska counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Harvard alone. Clay County, where 100% of Harvard lies, voted Trump 80.9%, Harris 17.4% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Harvard?

5 full-time and 3 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $24,008 (about $288,096 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Harvard in the state legislature?

State Senate District 38 (Dave Murman). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Harvard’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 →