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Valparaiso, Nebraska 2nd from Spruce 1Photo: Ammodramus · Public domain
Town Hall · Valparaiso

Valparaiso spent less per resident in 2022 than 75% of similar cities

Valparaiso’s village government spent $420,000 on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2022, about $773 per resident. Water and other utilities ($100,000) are counted separately.

Day-to-day spending, 2022
$420,000
year to September 30, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$773
In 2022: $773, less than 75% of 472 similar cities
Long-term debt
$185,000
end of FY2022, reported
Village staff, 2022
1
full-time · 9 part-time · March payroll $10,743
Typical tax bill
$2,637
1.14% of home value · NE 1.49%

What stands out about how Valparaiso is run

Read from the village’s budget and official records.

Spends less than most similar citiesIn 2022: $773 per resident, less than 75% of 472 similar cities.Runs its own water & sewer35% of day-to-day spending goes to water, sewer and trash (2022).A shared school districtShares Raymond Central Public Schools with 5 other towns.Lower tax billsThe typical bill is $2,637 a year: 1.14% of the home’s value, vs 1.49% across Nebraska.
Compared with similar places

$773 per resident in 2022: less than 75% of them

Valparaiso’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($773 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. Valparaiso spent less than 75% of them.

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

Includes sewer and trash ($80,000), 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; Valparaiso itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $773 per resident a year, or $2.12 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 63%.

Where the money comes from
Fees & charges 44%Utility sales 19%Property taxes 13%From the state 10%Other taxes & licenses 8%Interest, fines & other 6%From other local governments <1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $421,000; interest on debt $7,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $948,000.
Over the years

No trend yet

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

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $2,637 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.14% of the home’s value, vs 1.49% across Nebraska.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Nebraska$3,549
Valparaiso$2,637
$2,637
typical bill a year
1.14%
effective rate
$230,400
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Valparaiso

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

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

One full-time village employee for every 543 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 (543).

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

Administration & buildings0 + 6 pt
Parks & libraries0 + 2 pt
Other1 + 1 pt
1
full-time
9
part-time
$10,743
payroll for March 2022
$128,916
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$72,900
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
Compared, 2022.Valparaiso had 1.8 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: Valparaiso had fewer than 62% 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

Raymond Central Public Schools

Valparaiso’s K–12 school district, shared with Ceresco, Davey, Raymond, Richland Township, Oak Creek Township. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Valparaiso →
$15,996
per pupil · NE $15,602
752
students
$3.3 million
long-term debt

Of the $15,996 per pupil, $8,209 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 71%State 26%Federal 3%

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

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Valparaiso’s votes are counted by county

Nebraska reports official results by county and precinct, not by village, so there are no official results for Valparaiso 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 Valparaiso 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 Valparaiso

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Valparaiso.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  2. 2
    Nebraska SenateState senator
    Jared Storm
  3. 3
    GovernorStatewide
    Jim Pillen
  4. 4
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
    Don Bacon
  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 Valparaiso’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Valparaiso’s government

How much does Valparaiso spend per resident?

About $773 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 $773 was less than 75% of 472 Nebraska cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Valparaiso?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,637 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.14% 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 Valparaiso’s government?

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

How did Valparaiso vote in 2024?

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

How many people work for Valparaiso?

1 full-time and 9 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $10,743 (about $128,916 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Valparaiso in the state legislature?

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

Ask neighbors about Valparaiso’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 →