Photo: Skye Marthaler · CC BY-SA 3.0Wise spent more per resident in 2022 than 96% of similar cities
Wise’s town government spent $5.9 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $2,039 per resident. Water and other utilities ($1.4 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Wise is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$2,349 per resident in 2022: more than 96% of them
Wise’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($2,349 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 $1,509, and the middle half spent $1,258–$1,702. Wise spent more than 96% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($1.4 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 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Wise itself left out).
About $2,039 per resident a year, or $5.59 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 28%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is down 12% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Wise 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: $2,349 · 2023: $2,684 · 2024: $2,039.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $935 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.65% 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 Wise’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 Wise’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Wise →
Who’s in charge in Wise
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Wise’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on townofwise.net ↗.
One full-time town employee for every 51 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 (2,914).
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.
Wise County Public Schools
Wise’s K–12 school district, shared with Appalachia, Big Stone Gap, Coeburn, Pound, St. Paul. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $13,256 per pupil, $8,701 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.
Wise’s votes are counted by county
Virginia reports official results by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Wise alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Wise County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican81.2%13,655 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat18.1%3,036 votesOthers: 0.7% (121 votes).
Most votes in Wise County: Donald J Trump
Virginia: Harris 51.8%, Trump 46.1%
100% of Wise lies in Wise County. Every 2024 race in Wise County is on the county’s page.
Wise 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 Wise.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: townofwise.net ↗
- 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 Wise compares with the towns next door
Wise spent $2,349 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Wise | $2,349 | $935 |
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 Wise’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Wise’s government
How much does Wise spend per resident?
About $2,039 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 $2,349 was more than 96% of 27 Virginia cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Wise?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $935 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.65% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.73% across Virginia. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see townofwise.net.
Who runs Wise’s government?
See townofwise.net for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Wise yet.
How did Wise vote in 2024?
Virginia counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Wise alone. Wise County, where 100% of Wise lies, voted Trump 81.2%, Harris 18.1% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Wise?
57 full-time and 7 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $258,100 (about $3.1M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Wise in the state legislature?
State Senate District 6 (Todd Pillion) and House of Delegates District 45 (Terry Kilgore). The House of Delegates district also covers 14 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Wise’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 →