Wood Lake spent less per resident in 2022 than 74% of similar cities
Wood Lake’s village government spent $50,000 on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2022, about $781 per resident. Water and other utilities ($25,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Wood Lake is run
Read from the village’s budget and official records.
$781 per resident in 2022: less than 74% of them
Wood Lake’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($781 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. Wood Lake spent less than 74% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($8,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Nebraska cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Wood Lake itself left out).
About $781 per resident a year, or $2.14 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 50%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Wood Lake reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
Who’s in charge in Wood Lake
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Valentine Community Schools
Wood Lake’s K–12 school district, shared with Crookston, Valentine. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $21,111 per pupil, $12,648 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.
Wood Lake’s votes are counted by county
Nebraska reports official results by county and precinct, not by village, so there are no official results for Wood Lake alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Cherry County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican87.6%2,687 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat11.4%349 votesOthers: 1.1% (33 votes).
Most votes in Cherry County: Donald J Trump
Nebraska: Trump 59.3%, Harris 38.9%
100% of Wood Lake lies in Cherry County. Every 2024 race in Cherry County is on the county’s page.
Cherry 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 Wood Lake.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 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.
Reach Wood Lake’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Wood Lake’s government
How much does Wood Lake spend per resident?
About $781 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 $781 was less than 74% of 472 Nebraska cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
Who runs Wood Lake’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Wood Lake yet.
How did Wood Lake vote in 2024?
Nebraska counts votes by county and precinct, not by village, so there are no official results for Wood Lake alone. Cherry County, where 100% of Wood Lake lies, voted Trump 87.6%, Harris 11.4% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Wood Lake?
0 full-time and 2 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $950 (about $11,400 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Wood Lake in the state legislature?
State Senate District 43 (Tanya Storer). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Wood Lake’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 →