Photo: MMarshall at English Wikipedia · Public domainKearney spent more per resident in 2022 than 72% of similar cities
Kearney’s city government spent $45.9 million on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2024, about $1,338 per resident. Water and other utilities ($5.2 million) and the airport ($4.9 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Kearney is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,412 per resident in 2022: more than 72% of them
Kearney’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,412 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 521 Nebraska cities that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,069, and the middle half spent $802–$1,491. Kearney spent more than 72% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($6.8 million), 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 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Kearney itself left out).
About $1,338 per resident a year, or $3.67 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: parks & libraries, at 22%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is down 5% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Kearney reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.
Day-to-day spending by fiscal year
Per resident: 2022: $1,412 · 2023: $1,560 · 2024: $1,338.
full-time in March 2025, up from 270 in 2022. Both are Census estimates.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $3,641 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.49% 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 Kearney’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.
Tax bills are one input to Kearney’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Kearney →
Who’s in charge in Kearney
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Kearney’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on cityofkearney.org ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 111 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (34,277).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Kearney Public Schools
Kearney’s K–12 school district, shared with Riverdale. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $13,037 per pupil, $7,717 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.
Kearney’s votes are counted by county
Nebraska reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Kearney alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Buffalo County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican71.8%17,064 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat26.9%6,386 votesOthers: 1.3% (309 votes).
Most votes in Buffalo County: Donald J Trump
Nebraska: Trump 59.3%, Harris 38.9%
100% of Kearney lies in Buffalo County. Every 2024 race in Buffalo County is on the county’s page.
Buffalo 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 Kearney.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: cityofkearney.org ↗
- 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.
How Kearney compares with the towns next door
Kearney spent $1,412 per resident in 2022. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Kearney | $1,412 | $3,641 |
Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).
Reach Kearney’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Kearney’s government
How much does Kearney spend per resident?
About $1,338 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,412 was more than 72% of 521 Nebraska cities that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Kearney?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,641 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.49% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.49% across Nebraska. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cityofkearney.org.
Who runs Kearney’s government?
See cityofkearney.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Kearney yet.
How did Kearney vote in 2024?
Nebraska counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Kearney alone. Buffalo County, where 100% of Kearney lies, voted Trump 71.8%, Harris 26.9% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Kearney?
310 full-time and 139 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $2.2M (about $26.6M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Kearney in the state legislature?
State Senate District 37 (Stan Clouse). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Kearney’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 →