Photo: Unknown authorUnknown author · Public domainOrwell spent more per resident in 2022 than 78% of similar cities
Orwell’s village government spent $1.3 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $820 per resident. Water and other utilities ($195,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Orwell is run
Read from the village’s budget and official records.
$820 per resident in 2022: more than 78% of them
Orwell’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($820 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 320 Ohio cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $458, and the middle half spent $251–$772. Orwell spent more than 78% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($276,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Ohio cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Orwell itself left out).
About $820 per resident a year, or $2.25 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 31%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Orwell reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $1,484 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.18% of the home’s value, vs 1.31% across Ohio.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Orwell’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 Orwell’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Orwell →
Who’s in charge in Orwell
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Orwell’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The village posts agendas and minutes on orwellvillage.org ↗.
One full-time village employee for every 93 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 (1,585).
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.
Grand Valley Local School District
Orwell’s K–12 school district, shared with Colebrook Township, Hartsgrove Township, Orwell Township, Windsor Township, Rome Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $17,235 per pupil, $9,255 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.
Ohio districts overall: 53% local, 35% state, 12% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
How Orwell voted in 2024
Official results for Orwell’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Donald J TrumpRepublican67.4%394 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat32.0%187 votesOthers: 0.7% (4 votes).
Most votes in Orwell: Donald J Trump
Ashtabula County: Trump 63.8%, Harris 35.4% · Ohio: Trump 55.1%, Harris 43.9%
of Orwell’s 1,301 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Ohio: 64%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Orwell: Bernie Moreno
Ashtabula County: Moreno 56.5%, Brown 39.3% · Ohio: Moreno 50.1%, Brown 46.5%
Most votes in the district: David P Joyce
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Orwell, its county and the state
| Trump | Harris | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orwell | 67.4% | 32.0% | 0.7% | 585 |
| Ashtabula County | 63.8% | 35.4% | 0.8% | 43,368 |
| Ohio | 55.1% | 43.9% | 0.9% | 5,767,788 |
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 Orwell.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: orwellvillage.org ↗
- 2Ohio HouseState representatives
- 3Ohio SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Ohio
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
Reach Orwell’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Orwell’s government
How much does Orwell spend per resident?
About $820 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $820 was more than 78% of 320 Ohio cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Orwell?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,484 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.18% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.31% across Ohio. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see orwellvillage.org.
Who runs Orwell’s government?
See orwellvillage.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Orwell yet.
How did Orwell vote in 2024?
For president, Donald J Trump 67.4%, Kamala D Harris 32.0% (585 votes, official results). Ashtabula County: Trump 63.8%, Harris 35.4%. Ohio: Trump 55.1%, Harris 43.9%.
How many people work for Orwell?
17 full-time and 12 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $51,672 (about $620,064 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Orwell in the state legislature?
State Senate District 32 (Sandy O'Brien) and State House District 65 (David Thomas). The House district also covers 50 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Orwell’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 →