Photo: Dion Hinchcliffe · CC BY-SA 2.0How is Herndon run?
Herndon’s town government spent $53.5 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $2,212 per resident. Water and other utilities ($3.5 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Herndon is run
Read from the town’s budget, meetings and official records.
6 upcoming meetings at town hall
From Herndon’s own agenda portal, checked daily. Agendas can change up to the meeting, so check before you go.
- Nov4Historic District Review Board Work SessionWednesday · 7:00 pm · Herndon Community Center, Arts and Crafts Room, 814 Ferndale AvenueAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov4Town Council Work SessionWednesday · 7:00 pm · Herndon Police Department Community Room, 397 Herndon ParkwayAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov4Architectural Review Board MeetingWednesday · 7:30 pm · Herndon Community Center, Arts and Crafts Room, 814 Ferndale AvenueArchitectural Review Board Work SessionAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov10Town Council Work SessionTuesday · 6:30 pm · Herndon Police Department - Community Room, 397 Herndon ParkwayTown Council and Planning Commission Joint Special Work SessionMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov16Planning CommissionMonday · 7:00 pm · Herndon Police Department - Community Room, 397 Herndon ParkwayPlanning Commission Regular Meeting (CANCELED)Meeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov17Town CouncilTuesday · 7:00 pm · Herndon Police Department - Community Room, 397 Herndon ParkwayTown Council MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
Recent meetings
- Nov2Planning Commission Work SessionMonday · 7:00 pm · Herndon Police Department Community Room, 397 Herndon ParkwayPlanning Commission Work Session (CANCELED)Meeting page ↗
- Oct27Town CouncilTuesday · 7:00 pm · Herndon Police Department Community Room, 397 Herndon ParkwayTown Council MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Oct22Board of Zoning AppealsThursday · 7:00 pm · Herndon Police Department Community Room, 397 Herndon ParkwayBoard of Zoning Appeals Meeting (CANCELED)Meeting page ↗
- Oct21Architectural Review Board MeetingWednesday · 7:30 pm · Herndon Police Department Community Room, 397 Herndon ParkwayAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Oct21Historic District Review BoardWednesday · 7:00 pm · Herndon Police Department Community Room, 397 Herndon ParkwayHistoric District Review Board MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
Most meetings are open to the public, and many have a public comment period at the start.
Agenda portal ↗About $2,212 per resident a year, or $6.06 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 24%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,641 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
Herndon’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,641 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 36 Virginia cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,512, and the middle half spent $1,201–$1,888. Herndon spent more than 61% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($5 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 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Herndon itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is up 33% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Herndon 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: $1,641 · 2023: $1,892 · 2024: $2,212.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $6,680 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.12% 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 Herndon’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.
Tax bills are one input to Herndon’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Herndon →
Who’s in charge in Herndon
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time town employee for every 90 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (24,167).
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.
Fairfax County Public Schools
Herndon’s K–12 school district, shared with Clifton, Vienna. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $20,064 per pupil, $12,018 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.
Herndon’s votes are counted by county
Virginia reports official results by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Herndon alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Fairfax County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat65.6%386,438 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican30.9%181,895 votesOthers: 3.6% (21,094 votes).
Most votes in Fairfax County: Kamala D Harris
Virginia: Harris 51.8%, Trump 46.1%
100% of Herndon lies in Fairfax County; the rest in Loudoun County. Every 2024 race in Fairfax County is on the county’s page.
Fairfax 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 Herndon.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: herndon-va.gov ↗
- 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.
How Herndon compares with the towns next door
Herndon spent $1,641 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Herndon | $1,641 | $6,680 |
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 Herndon’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Herndon’s government
How much does Herndon spend per resident?
About $2,212 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 $1,641 was more than 61% of 36 Virginia cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Herndon?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $6,680 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.12% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.73% across Virginia. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see herndon-va.gov.
Who runs Herndon’s government?
See herndon-va.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Herndon yet.
How did Herndon vote in 2024?
Virginia counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Herndon alone. Fairfax County, where 100% of Herndon lies, voted Harris 65.6%, Trump 30.9% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Herndon?
270 full-time and 68 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $1.8M (about $21.7M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Herndon in the state legislature?
State Senate District 38 (Jennifer Boysko) and House of Delegates District 8 (Irene Shin). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
When is the next public meeting in Herndon?
The next posted meeting is Historic District Review Board Work Session on Wednesday, November 4, at 7:00 pm in Herndon Community Center, Arts and Crafts Room, 814 Ferndale Avenue, from the town’s own agenda portal.
Ask neighbors about Herndon’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 →