Photo: Corvokarasu at English Wikipedia · Public domainSmithfield spent less per resident in 2022 than 85% of similar cities
Smithfield’s town government spent $12 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $1,354 per resident. Water and other utilities ($1.8 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Smithfield is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$1,085 per resident in 2022: less than 85% of them
Smithfield’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,085 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. Smithfield spent less than 85% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($1.3 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; Smithfield itself left out).
About $1,354 per resident a year, or $3.71 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 21%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 28% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Smithfield 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: $1,085 · 2023: $1,288 · 2024: $1,354.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $2,991 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.80% 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 Smithfield’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 Smithfield’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Smithfield →
Who’s in charge in Smithfield
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Smithfield’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on smithfieldva.gov ↗.
One full-time town employee for every 156 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 (8,867).
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.
Isle of Wight County Public Schools
Smithfield’s K–12 school district, shared with Windsor. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $14,506 per pupil, $8,748 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.
Smithfield’s votes are counted by county
Virginia reports official results by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Smithfield alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Isle of Wight County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican59.2%14,659 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat39.5%9,779 votesOthers: 1.3% (324 votes).
Most votes in Isle of Wight County: Donald J Trump
Virginia: Harris 51.8%, Trump 46.1%
100% of Smithfield lies in Isle of Wight County. Every 2024 race in Isle of Wight County is on the county’s page.
Isle of Wight 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 Smithfield.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: smithfieldva.gov ↗
- 2Virginia House of DelegatesSmithfield is split between 2 districts
- 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 Smithfield compares with the towns next door
Smithfield spent $1,085 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Smithfield | $1,085 | $2,991 |
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 Smithfield’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Smithfield’s government
How much does Smithfield spend per resident?
About $1,354 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 $1,085 was less than 85% of 27 Virginia cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Smithfield?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,991 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.80% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.73% across Virginia. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see smithfieldva.gov.
Who runs Smithfield’s government?
See smithfieldva.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Smithfield yet.
How did Smithfield vote in 2024?
Virginia counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Smithfield alone. Isle of Wight County, where 100% of Smithfield lies, voted Trump 59.2%, Harris 39.5% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Smithfield?
57 full-time and 27 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $324,004 (about $3.9M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Smithfield in the state legislature?
Smithfield is split among 2 House of Delegates districts, so your address decides. The Virginia Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Its State Senate district is District 17 (Emily Jordan). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Smithfield’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 →