Photo: Rutke421 23:17, 9 August 2008 (UTC) · Public domainOrange spent less per resident in 2022 than 78% of similar cities
Orange’s town government spent $8 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $1,571 per resident. Water and other utilities ($1.6 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Orange is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$1,235 per resident in 2022: less than 78% of them
Orange’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,235 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 27 Virginia cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,514, and the middle half spent $1,318–$1,804. Orange spent less than 78% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($1.9 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 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Orange itself left out).
About $1,571 per resident a year, or $4.30 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 29%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 25% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Orange 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: $1,235 · 2023: $1,142 · 2024: $1,571.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $1,683 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.62% 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 Orange’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 Orange’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Orange →
Who’s in charge in Orange
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Orange’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on townoforangeva.org ↗.
One full-time town employee for every 100 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 (5,088).
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.
Orange County Public Schools
Orange’s K–12 school district, shared with Gordonsville. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $13,827 per pupil, $7,925 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.
Orange’s votes are counted by county
Virginia reports official results by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Orange alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Orange County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican61.6%13,764 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat37.0%8,274 votesOthers: 1.4% (315 votes).
Most votes in Orange County: Donald J Trump
Virginia: Harris 51.8%, Trump 46.1%
100% of Orange lies in Orange County. Every 2024 race in Orange County is on the county’s page.
Orange 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 Orange.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: townoforangeva.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 Orange’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Orange’s government
How much does Orange spend per resident?
About $1,571 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 $1,235 was less than 78% of 27 Virginia cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Orange?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,683 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.62% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.73% across Virginia. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see townoforangeva.org.
Who runs Orange’s government?
See townoforangeva.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Orange yet.
How did Orange vote in 2024?
Virginia counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Orange alone. Orange County, where 100% of Orange lies, voted Trump 61.6%, Harris 37.0% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Orange?
51 full-time and 7 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $204,563 (about $2.5M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Orange in the state legislature?
State Senate District 28 (Bryce Reeves) and House of Delegates District 62 (Karen Hamilton). The House of Delegates district also covers four other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Orange’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 →