Photo: Scott Catron from Sandy, Utah, USA · CC BY-SA 2.0Alta spent more per resident in 2022 than 98% of similar cities
Alta’s town government spent $1.8 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $4,788 per resident. Water and other utilities ($153,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Alta is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$4,788 per resident in 2022: more than 98% of them
Alta’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($4,788 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 139 Utah cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $534, and the middle half spent $326–$942. Alta spent more than 98% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($108,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Utah cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Alta itself left out).
About $4,788 per resident a year, or $13.12 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 50%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Alta reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $9,375 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.47% of the home’s value, vs 0.52% across Utah.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Alta’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 Alta’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Alta →
Who’s in charge in Alta
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Alta’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on townofalta.com ↗.
One full-time town employee for every 42 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 (377).
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.
Canyons School District
Alta’s K–12 school district, shared with Brighton, Cottonwood Heights, Midvale, White City, Sandy and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $12,093 per pupil, $7,045 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.
Utah districts overall: 42% local, 51% state, 8% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Alta’s votes are counted by county
Utah reports official results by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Alta alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Salt Lake County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat53.7%273,577 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican43.5%221,458 votesOthers: 2.8% (14,421 votes).
Most votes in Salt Lake County: Kamala D Harris
Utah: Trump 59.4%, Harris 37.8%
100% of Alta lies in Salt Lake County. Every 2024 race in Salt Lake County is on the county’s page.
Salt Lake 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 Alta.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: townofalta.com ↗
- 2Utah HouseState representatives
- 3Utah SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Utah
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Alta compares with the towns next door
Alta spent $4,788 per resident in 2022; the neighbor that reported 2022 spent $1,355. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Brighton | $1,355 | $4,640 |
| Alta | $4,788 | $9,375 |
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 Alta’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Alta’s government
How much does Alta spend per resident?
About $4,788 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 $4,788 was more than 98% of 139 Utah cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Alta?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $9,375 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.47% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.52% across Utah. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see townofalta.com.
Who runs Alta’s government?
See townofalta.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Alta yet.
How did Alta vote in 2024?
Utah counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Alta alone. Salt Lake County, where 100% of Alta lies, voted Harris 53.7%, Trump 43.5% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Alta?
9 full-time and 17 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $56,376 (about $676,512 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Alta in the state legislature?
State Senate District 19 (Kirk Cullimore) and State House District 41 (John Arthur). The House district also covers five other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Alta’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 →