Cato spent less per resident in 2022 than 83% of similar cities
Cato’s village government spent $231,000 on day-to-day services in the year to May 31, 2022, about $465 per resident. Water and other utilities ($139,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Cato is run
Read from the village’s budget and official records.
$465 per resident in 2022: less than 83% of them
Cato’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($465 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 301 New York cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $760, and the middle half spent $547–$1,141. Cato spent less than 83% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($28,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
New York cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Cato itself left out).
About $465 per resident a year, or $1.27 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 32%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Cato reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $3,125 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.91% of the home’s value, vs 1.55% across New York.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Cato’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 Cato’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Cato →
Who’s in charge in Cato
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Cato’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The village posts agendas and minutes on cayugacounty.gov/414/Cato-Town ↗.
One full-time village employee for every 249 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 (497).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Cato-Meridian Central School District
Cato’s K–12 school district, shared with Ira, Meridian, Cato, Conquest, Victory. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $23,310 per pupil, $14,707 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.
New York districts overall: 51% local, 41% state, 8% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Cato’s votes are counted by county
New York reports official results by county and precinct, not by village, so there are no official results for Cato alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Cayuga County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican56.1%20,482 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat43.2%15,772 votesOthers: 0.7% (263 votes).
Most votes in Cayuga County: Donald J Trump
New York: Harris 55.9%, Trump 43.3%
100% of Cato lies in Cayuga County. Every 2024 race in Cayuga County is on the county’s page.
Cayuga 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 Cato.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: cayugacounty.gov/414/Cato-Town ↗
- 2New York AssemblyCato is split between 2 districts
- 3New York SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of New York
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
Reach Cato’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Cato’s government
How much does Cato spend per resident?
About $465 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to May 31, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $465 was less than 83% of 301 New York cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Cato?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,125 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.91% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.55% across New York. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cayugacounty.gov/414/Cato-Town.
Who runs Cato’s government?
See cayugacounty.gov/414/Cato-Town for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Cato yet.
How did Cato vote in 2024?
New York counts votes by county and precinct, not by village, so there are no official results for Cato alone. Cayuga County, where 100% of Cato lies, voted Trump 56.1%, Harris 43.2% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Cato?
2 full-time and 0 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $7,244 (about $86,928 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Cato in the state legislature?
Cato is split among 2 Assembly districts, so your address decides. The New York Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Its State Senate district is District 48 (Rachel May). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Cato’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 →