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Old Ithaca, Nebraska grain elevator from SEPhoto: Ammodramus · Public domain
Town Hall · Ithaca

Ithaca spent less per resident in 2022 than 92% of similar cities

Ithaca’s village government spent $81,000 on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2022, about $547 per resident. Water and other utilities ($25,000) are counted separately.

Election Day

Tomorrow

General election in Nebraska.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$81,000
year to September 30, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$547
In 2022: $547, less than 92% of 472 similar cities
Long-term debt
Not reported
end of FY2022, reported
Village staff, 2022
0
full-time · 2 part-time · March payroll $1,742 · Census estimate
Typical tax bill
$2,058
1.30% of home value · NE 1.49%

What stands out about how Ithaca is run

Read from the village’s budget and official records.

Compared with similar places

$547 per resident in 2022: less than 92% of them

Ithaca’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($547 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 $776–$1,452. Ithaca spent less than 92% of them.

Middle half of the group, $776–$1,452Median $1,038Ithaca

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; Ithaca itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $547 per resident a year, or $1.50 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 56%.

Where the money comes from
Utility sales 34%Fees & charges 21%From the state 20%Property taxes 12%Other taxes & licenses 6%Interest, fines & other 6%From other local governments 1%
Not in the receipt.With the enterprises, the whole budget was $106,000.
Over the years

No trend yet

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

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $2,058 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.30% of the home’s value, vs 1.49% across Nebraska.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Nebraska$3,549
Ithaca$2,058
$2,058
typical bill a year
1.30%
effective rate
$158,500
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Ithaca

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

Check Ithaca’s own website for current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Ithaca yet.
The school district

Wahoo Public Schools

Ithaca’s K–12 school district, shared with Malmo, Wahoo, Weston, Stocking Township, Chapman Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Ithaca →
$15,809
per pupil · NE $15,602
1,088
students
$1.9 million
long-term debt

Of the $15,809 per pupil, $9,653 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 65%State 27%Federal 8%

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

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Ithaca’s votes are counted by county

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

President · Saunders County’s results13,565 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican72.6%9,854 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat26.2%3,558 votes

Others: 1.1% (153 votes).

Most votes in Saunders County: Donald J Trump

Nebraska: Trump 59.3%, Harris 38.9%

The county’s page

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

Saunders 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 Ithaca

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Ithaca.

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 Ithaca’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Ithaca’s government

How much does Ithaca spend per resident?

About $547 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 $547 was less than 92% of 472 Nebraska cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Ithaca?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,058 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.30% 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 Ithaca’s government?

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

How did Ithaca vote in 2024?

Nebraska counts votes by county and precinct, not by village, so there are no official results for Ithaca alone. Saunders County, where 100% of Ithaca lies, voted Trump 72.6%, Harris 26.2% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Ithaca?

0 full-time and 2 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $1,742 (about $20,904 a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.

Who represents Ithaca in the state legislature?

State Senate District 23 (Jared Storm). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Ithaca’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 →