Photo: Glenn Scofield Williams · CC BY 2.0The Dalles spent more per resident in 2022 than 67% of similar cities
The Dalles’ city government spent $18.6 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $1,165 per resident. Water and other utilities ($4.3 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how The Dalles is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,010 per resident in 2022: more than 67% of them
The Dalles’ day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,010 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 $991, and the middle half spent $893–$1,185. The Dalles spent more than 67% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($3 million), as the Census Bureau counts 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; The Dalles itself left out).
About $1,165 per resident a year, or $3.19 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 25%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 18% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years The Dalles 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: $1,010 · 2024: $1,165.
full-time in March 2025, up from 98 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 $3,030 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.84% 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 The Dalles’ 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 The Dalles’ Cost of living grade. Cost of living in The Dalles →
Who’s in charge in The Dalles
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
The Dalles’ meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on thedalles.org ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 146 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (15,932).
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 Wasco School District 21
The Dalles’ K–12 school district, shared with Mosier. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $16,590 per pupil, $9,381 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.
Dufur School District 29 · $20,950 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
The Dalles’ votes are counted by county
Oregon reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for The Dalles alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Wasco County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican51.1%6,837 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat45.3%6,069 votesOthers: 3.6% (485 votes).
Most votes in Wasco County: Donald J Trump
Oregon: Harris 55.3%, Trump 41.0%
100% of The Dalles lies in Wasco County. Every 2024 race in Wasco County is on the county’s page.
Wasco 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 The Dalles.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: thedalles.org ↗
- 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 The Dalles compares with the towns next door
The Dalles spent $1,010 per resident in 2022. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| The Dalles | $1,010 | $3,030 |
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 The Dalles’ government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about The Dalles’ government
How much does The Dalles spend per resident?
About $1,165 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,010 was more than 67% of 21 Oregon cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in The Dalles?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,030 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.84% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.81% across Oregon. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see thedalles.org.
Who runs The Dalles’ government?
See thedalles.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for The Dalles yet.
How did The Dalles vote in 2024?
Oregon counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for The Dalles alone. Wasco County, where 100% of The Dalles lies, voted Trump 51.1%, Harris 45.3% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for The Dalles?
109 full-time and 12 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $742,899 (about $8.9M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents The Dalles in the state legislature?
State Senate District 26 (Christine Drazan) and State House District 52 (Jeff Helfrich). The House district also covers four other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about The Dalles’ 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 →