Photo: James Shelton32 · CC BY-SA 3.0Chilhowie spent more per resident in 2022 than 92% of similar cities
Chilhowie’s town government spent $3.9 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $2,417 per resident. Water and other utilities ($1.1 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Chilhowie is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$2,143 per resident in 2022: more than 92% of them
Chilhowie’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($2,143 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 76 Virginia cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $516, and the middle half spent $292–$1,363. Chilhowie spent more than 92% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($1.2 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 →
Virginia cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Chilhowie itself left out).
About $2,417 per resident a year, or $6.62 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: fire, at 29%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 8% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Chilhowie 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: $2,143 · 2023: $2,315 · 2024: $2,417.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $921 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.60% of the home’s value, vs 0.73% across Virginia.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Chilhowie’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 Chilhowie’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Chilhowie →
Who’s in charge in Chilhowie
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Chilhowie’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on chilhowie.org ↗.
One full-time town employee for every 71 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (1,633).
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.
Smyth County Public Schools
Chilhowie’s K–12 school district, shared with Marion, Saltville. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $15,580 per pupil, $9,475 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.
Virginia districts overall: 49% local, 41% state, 10% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Chilhowie’s votes are counted by county
Virginia reports official results by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Chilhowie alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Smyth County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican79.6%11,521 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat19.4%2,805 votesOthers: 1.0% (142 votes).
Most votes in Smyth County: Donald J Trump
Virginia: Harris 51.8%, Trump 46.1%
100% of Chilhowie lies in Smyth County. Every 2024 race in Smyth County is on the county’s page.
Smyth 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 Chilhowie.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: chilhowie.org ↗
- 2Virginia House of DelegatesState representatives
- 3Virginia SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Virginia
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
Reach Chilhowie’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Chilhowie’s government
How much does Chilhowie spend per resident?
About $2,417 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 $2,143 was more than 92% of 76 Virginia cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Chilhowie?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $921 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.60% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.73% across Virginia. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see chilhowie.org.
Who runs Chilhowie’s government?
See chilhowie.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Chilhowie yet.
How did Chilhowie vote in 2024?
Virginia counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Chilhowie alone. Smyth County, where 100% of Chilhowie lies, voted Trump 79.6%, Harris 19.4% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Chilhowie?
23 full-time and 23 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $125,744 (about $1.5M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Chilhowie in the state legislature?
State Senate District 5 (Travis Hackworth) and House of Delegates District 46 (Mitchell Cornett). The House of Delegates district also covers eight other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Chilhowie’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 →