Photo: APK · CC BY-SA 4.0Winchester spent more per resident in 2022 than 95% of similar cities
Winchester’s city government spent $213.8 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $7,653 per resident. Water and other utilities ($13.5 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Winchester is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$6,581 per resident in 2022: more than 95% of them
Winchester’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($6,581 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 20 Virginia cities of 25,000–49,999 that run their own schools: the median was $4,668, and the middle half spent $3,881–$5,340. Winchester spent more than 95% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($11.7 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 25,000–49,999 that run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Winchester itself left out).
About $7,653 per resident a year, or $20.97 a day
Schools are part of the city’s budget, so they lead the receipt: 39% of day-to-day spending.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Winchester runs its own schools, so school spending is part of this budget. Comparisons are with Virginia cities of 25,000–49,999 that run their own schools.
Day-to-day spending is up 17% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Winchester 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: $6,581 · 2023: $7,156 · 2024: $7,653.
full-time in March 2025, up from 1,448 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 $2,591 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.76% 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 Winchester’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 Winchester’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Winchester →
Who’s in charge in Winchester
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Winchester’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on winchesterva.gov ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 18 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 (27,936).
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.
Winchester City Public Schools
Winchester’s K–12 school district. The schools are run by Winchester, so this money is part of the budget above.
Of the $19,639 per pupil, $10,915 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 Winchester voted in 2024
Official results for Winchester’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat53.9%6,407 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican44.2%5,252 votesOthers: 2.0% (235 votes).
Most votes in Winchester: Kamala D Harris
Winchester city: Harris 53.9%, Trump 44.2% · Virginia: Harris 51.8%, Trump 46.1%
of Winchester’s 19,560 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Virginia: 71%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Winchester: Timothy M Kaine
Winchester city: Kaine 58.0%, Cao 41.8% · Virginia: Kaine 54.4%, Cao 45.4%
Most votes in the district: Ben L Cline
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Winchester, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winchester | 53.9% | 44.2% | 2.0% | 11,894 |
| Winchester city | 53.9% | 44.2% | 2.0% | 11,894 |
| 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 Winchester.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: winchesterva.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 Winchester’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Winchester’s government
How much does Winchester spend per resident?
About $7,653 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 $6,581 was more than 95% of 20 Virginia cities of 25,000–49,999 that run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Winchester?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,591 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.76% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.73% across Virginia. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see winchesterva.gov.
Who runs Winchester’s government?
See winchesterva.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Winchester yet.
How did Winchester vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 53.9%, Donald J Trump 44.2% (11,894 votes, official results). Winchester city: Harris 53.9%, Trump 44.2%. Virginia: Harris 51.8%, Trump 46.1%.
How many people work for Winchester?
1,553 full-time and 183 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $9.0M (about $107.6M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Winchester in the state legislature?
State Senate District 1 (Timmy French) and House of Delegates District 32 (Bill Wiley). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Winchester’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 →