Cox-Williams House · Photo: Ian Poellet (User:Werewombat) · CC BY-SA 3.0How is St. Helens run?
St. Helens’ city government spent $13.8 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $979 per resident. These are Census Bureau estimates: St. Helens didn’t report its figures, so this page shows them without comparisons.
What stands out about how St. Helens is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
About $979 per resident a year, or $2.68 a day
Day-to-day services only (a Census Bureau estimate). The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 37%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
St. Helens didn’t report all of its 2022 figures to the Census Bureau, so most of these numbers are the Bureau’s estimates.
No comparison or trend for St. Helens yet
Every year of St. Helens’ figures is a Census Bureau estimate: the city reported none of its dollars for 2022. Estimates are shown above, labeled, but never ranked against places that reported or drawn as a trend.
How Town Hall compares budgets →The typical homeowner pays $2,916 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.74% 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 St. Helens’ 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 St. Helens’ Cost of living grade. Cost of living in St. Helens →
Who’s in charge in St. Helens
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
St. Helens’ meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on ci.st-helens.or.us ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 188 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 (14,071).
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.
St. Helens School District 502
St. Helens’ K–12 school district, shared with Columbia City. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $15,493 per pupil, $8,776 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.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
St. Helens’ votes are counted by county
Oregon reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for St. Helens alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Columbia County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican55.0%17,227 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat41.2%12,895 votesOthers: 3.9% (1,212 votes).
Most votes in Columbia County: Donald J Trump
Oregon: Harris 55.3%, Trump 41.0%
100% of St. Helens lies in Columbia County. Every 2024 race in Columbia County is on the county’s page.
Columbia 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 St. Helens.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: ci.st-helens.or.us ↗
- 2Oregon HouseState representatives
- 3Oregon SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Oregon
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How St. Helens compares with the towns next door
St. Helens’ own figures are Census estimates, so it isn’t placed among its neighbors. 0 of the 1 towns next door reported 2022 figures. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Columbia City | estimate | $3,511 |
| St. Helens | estimate | $2,916 |
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 St. Helens’ government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about St. Helens’ government
How much does St. Helens spend per resident?
About $979 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, a Census Bureau estimate (St. Helens didn’t report its figures). With building projects and interest, the whole budget was about $24.1 million.
What is the property tax rate in St. Helens?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,916 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.74% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.81% across Oregon. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see ci.st-helens.or.us.
Who runs St. Helens’ government?
See ci.st-helens.or.us for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for St. Helens yet.
How did St. Helens vote in 2024?
Oregon counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for St. Helens alone. Columbia County, where 100% of St. Helens lies, voted Trump 55.0%, Harris 41.2% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for St. Helens?
75 full-time and 7 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $514,186 (about $6.2M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents St. Helens in the state legislature?
State Senate District 16 (Suzanne Weber) and State House District 31 (Darcey Edwards). The House district also covers eight other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about St. Helens’ 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 (for St. Helens, the Bureau’s estimates); 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 →