Photo: Esprqii · CC BY-SA 3.0Happy Valley spent less per resident in 2022 than 100% of similar cities
Happy Valley’s city government spent $14.8 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2023, about $578 per resident.
What stands out about how Happy Valley is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$580 per resident in 2022: less than 100% of them
Happy Valley’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($580 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 21 Oregon cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $999, and the middle half spent $906–$1,185. Happy Valley spent less than 100% of them.
Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Oregon cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Happy Valley itself left out).
About $578 per resident a year, or $1.58 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 36%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 7% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Happy Valley reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.
Day-to-day spending by fiscal year
Per resident: 2022: $580 · 2023: $578. Per resident it went from $580 to $578 (down 0%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 23,781 to 25,679.
full-time in March 2025, up from 70 in 2022.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $7,542 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.04% of the home’s value, vs 0.81% across Oregon.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Happy Valley’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.
Tax bills are one input to Happy Valley’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Happy Valley →
Who’s in charge in Happy Valley
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Happy Valley’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on happyvalleyor.gov ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 321 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2023 finance file (25,679).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
North Clackamas School District 12
Happy Valley’s K–12 school district, shared with Johnson City, Milwaukie. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $15,887 per pupil, $8,498 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.
Oregon districts overall: 38% local, 52% state, 10% federal.
Centennial School District 28J · $16,282 per pupil
Gresham-Barlow School District 1J · $15,648 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Happy Valley’s votes are counted by county
Oregon reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Happy Valley alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Clackamas County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat53.0%130,580 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican43.2%106,387 votesOthers: 3.8% (9,273 votes).
Most votes in Clackamas County: Kamala D Harris
Oregon: Harris 55.3%, Trump 41.0%
100% of Happy Valley lies in Clackamas County. Every 2024 race in Clackamas County is on the county’s page.
Clackamas 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 Happy Valley.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: happyvalleyor.gov ↗
- 2Oregon HouseHappy Valley is split between 2 districts
- 3Oregon SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseSplit between districts
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Oregon
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Happy Valley compares with the towns next door
Happy Valley spent $580 per resident in 2022; the neighbor that reported 2022 spent $2,248. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Portland | $2,248 | $5,743 |
| Happy Valley | $580 | $7,542 |
Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).
Reach Happy Valley’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Happy Valley’s government
How much does Happy Valley spend per resident?
About $578 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2023, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $580 was less than 100% of 21 Oregon cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Happy Valley?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $7,542 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.04% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.81% across Oregon. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see happyvalleyor.gov.
Who runs Happy Valley’s government?
See happyvalleyor.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Happy Valley yet.
How did Happy Valley vote in 2024?
Oregon counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Happy Valley alone. Clackamas County, where 100% of Happy Valley lies, voted Harris 53.0%, Trump 43.2% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Happy Valley?
80 full-time and 0 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $586,223 (about $7.0M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Happy Valley in the state legislature?
Happy Valley is split among 2 State House districts and 2 State Senate districts, so your address decides. The Oregon Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Happy Valley’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 →