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Orleans, Nebraska - Orleans Ave 3Photo: Ammodramus · Public domain
Town Hall · Orleans

Orleans spent less per resident in 2022 than 67% of similar cities

Orleans’ city government spent $314,000 on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2022, about $865 per resident. Water and other utilities ($49,000) are counted separately.

Day-to-day spending, 2022
$314,000
year to September 30, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$865
In 2022: $865, less than 67% of 472 similar cities
Long-term debt
$830,000
end of FY2022, reported
City staff, 2022
1
full-time · 5 part-time · March payroll $3,931
Typical tax bill
$1,103
1.71% of home value · NE 1.49%

What stands out about how Orleans is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

Spends less than most similar citiesIn 2022: $865 per resident, less than 67% of 472 similar cities.Runs its own water & sewer31% of day-to-day spending goes to water, sewer and trash (2022).A shared school districtShares Southern Valley Schools with 5 other towns.Low bills, a higher rateThe typical bill is $1,103 a year: 1.71% of the home’s value, vs 1.49% across Nebraska.
Compared with similar places

$865 per resident in 2022: less than 67% of them

Orleans’ day-to-day spending in 2022 ($865 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. Orleans spent less than 67% of them.

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

Includes sewer and trash ($64,000), 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; Orleans itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $865 per resident a year, or $2.37 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 30%.

Where the money comes from
Fees & charges 41%From the state 20%Utility sales 13%Property taxes 9%Other taxes & licenses 9%Interest, fines & other 8%From other local governments 1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $82,000; interest on debt $36,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $481,000.
Over the years

No trend yet

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

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $1,103 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.71% of the home’s value, vs 1.49% across Nebraska.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Nebraska$3,549
Orleans$1,103
$1,103
typical bill a year
1.71%
effective rate
$64,400
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Orleans

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

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

One full-time city employee for every 363 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 (363).

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

Administration & buildings1 + 5 pt
1
full-time
5
part-time
$3,931
payroll for March 2022
$47,172
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$37,100
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
Compared, 2022.Orleans had 2.8 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: Orleans had fewer than 58% 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

Southern Valley Schools

Orleans’ K–12 school district, shared with Beaver City, Oxford, Hendley, Stamford, Edison. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Orleans →
$21,960
per pupil · NE $15,602
397
students
$270,000
long-term debt

Of the $21,960 per pupil, $11,950 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 70%State 22%Federal 8%

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

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Orleans’ votes are counted by county

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

President · Harlan County’s results1,802 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican83.6%1,506 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat15.5%280 votes

Others: 0.9% (16 votes).

Most votes in Harlan County: Donald J Trump

Nebraska: Trump 59.3%, Harris 38.9%

The county’s page

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

Harlan 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 Orleans

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Orleans.

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 Orleans’ government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Orleans’ government

How much does Orleans spend per resident?

About $865 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 $865 was less than 67% of 472 Nebraska cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Orleans?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,103 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.71% 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 Orleans’ government?

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

How did Orleans vote in 2024?

Nebraska counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Orleans alone. Harlan County, where 100% of Orleans lies, voted Trump 83.6%, Harris 15.5% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Orleans?

1 full-time and 5 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $3,931 (about $47,172 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Orleans in the state legislature?

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

Ask neighbors about Orleans’ 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 →