Photo: Ron Cogswell · CC BY 2.0Williamsburg spent more per resident in 2022 than 97% of similar cities
Williamsburg’s city government spent $51.5 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $3,239 per resident. Water and other utilities ($3.9 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Williamsburg is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$2,454 per resident in 2022: more than 97% of them
Williamsburg’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($2,454 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–$1,767. Williamsburg spent more than 97% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($4 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; Williamsburg itself left out).
About $3,239 per resident a year, or $8.87 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: housing & development, at 17%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 38% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Williamsburg 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: $2,454 · 2023: $2,761 · 2024: $3,239. Per resident it went from $2,454 to $3,239 (up 32%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 15,259 to 15,909.
full-time in March 2025, up from 190 in 2022. Both are Census estimates.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $2,518 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.59% 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 Williamsburg’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 Williamsburg’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Williamsburg →
Who’s in charge in Williamsburg
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Williamsburg’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on williamsburgva.gov ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 80 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (15,909).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Williamsburg City Public Schools
Williamsburg’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $15,787 per pupil, $9,450 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.
How Williamsburg voted in 2024
Official results for Williamsburg’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat71.1%5,613 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican26.8%2,119 votesOthers: 2.1% (162 votes).
Most votes in Williamsburg: Kamala D Harris
Williamsburg city: Harris 71.1%, Trump 26.8% · Virginia: Harris 51.8%, Trump 46.1%
of Williamsburg’s 13,445 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Virginia: 71%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Williamsburg: Timothy M Kaine
Williamsburg city: Kaine 72.3%, Cao 27.6% · Virginia: Kaine 54.4%, Cao 45.4%
Most votes in the district: Robert J Wittman
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Williamsburg, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Williamsburg | 71.1% | 26.8% | 2.1% | 7,894 |
| Williamsburg city | 71.1% | 26.8% | 2.1% | 7,894 |
| Virginia | 51.8% | 46.1% | 2.1% | 4,503,288 |
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 Williamsburg.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: williamsburgva.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.
Reach Williamsburg’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Williamsburg’s government
How much does Williamsburg spend per resident?
About $3,239 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 $2,454 was more than 97% of 36 Virginia cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Williamsburg?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,518 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.59% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.73% across Virginia. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see williamsburgva.gov.
Who runs Williamsburg’s government?
See williamsburgva.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Williamsburg yet.
How did Williamsburg vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 71.1%, Donald J Trump 26.8% (7,894 votes, official results). Williamsburg city: Harris 71.1%, Trump 26.8%. Virginia: Harris 51.8%, Trump 46.1%.
How many people work for Williamsburg?
199 full-time and 51 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $1.4M (about $16.5M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Williamsburg in the state legislature?
State Senate District 24 (Danny Diggs) and House of Delegates District 71 (Jessica Anderson). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Williamsburg’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 →