Photo: Dclemens1971 · CC BY 4.0Walden spent less per resident in 2022 than 67% of similar cities
Walden’s town government spent $741,000 on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $339 per resident.
What stands out about how Walden is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$339 per resident in 2022: less than 67% of them
Walden’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($339 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 113 Tennessee cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $579, and the middle half spent $297–$828. Walden spent less than 67% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($178,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Tennessee cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Walden itself left out).
About $339 per resident a year, or $0.93 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 24%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Walden reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $3,371 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.50% of the home’s value, vs 0.50% across Tennessee.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Walden’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 Walden’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Walden →
Who’s in charge in Walden
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Walden’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on waldentn.gov ↗.
One full-time town employee for every 1,092 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 (2,183).
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.
Hamilton County School District
Walden’s K–12 school district, shared with Chattanooga, Collegedale, East Ridge, Lakesite, Lookout Mountain and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $16,443 per pupil, $10,089 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.
Tennessee districts overall: 40% local, 44% state, 16% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Walden’s votes are counted by county
Tennessee reports official results by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Walden alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Hamilton County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican55.7%97,195 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat42.7%74,437 votesOthers: 1.6% (2,806 votes).
Most votes in Hamilton County: Donald J Trump
Tennessee: Trump 64.2%, Harris 34.5%
100% of Walden lies in Hamilton County. Every 2024 race in Hamilton County is on the county’s page.
Hamilton 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 Walden.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: waldentn.gov ↗
- 2Tennessee HouseState representatives
- 3Tennessee SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Tennessee
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Walden compares with the towns next door
Walden spent $339 per resident in 2022; the neighbor that reported 2022 spent $963. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Signal Mountain | $963 | $3,877 |
| Walden | $339 | $3,371 |
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 Walden’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Walden’s government
How much does Walden spend per resident?
About $339 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $339 was less than 67% of 113 Tennessee cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Walden?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,371 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.50% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.50% across Tennessee. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see waldentn.gov.
Who runs Walden’s government?
See waldentn.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Walden yet.
How did Walden vote in 2024?
Tennessee counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Walden alone. Hamilton County, where 100% of Walden lies, voted Trump 55.7%, Harris 42.7% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Walden?
2 full-time and 6 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $12,201 (about $146,412 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Walden in the state legislature?
State Senate District 11 (Bo Watson) and State House District 27 (Michele Reneau). The House district also covers five other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Walden’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 →