Photo: SounderBruce · CC BY-SA 4.0Auburn spent more per resident in 2022 than 67% of similar cities
Auburn’s city government spent $145.5 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, about $1,715 per resident. Water and other utilities ($12 million) and the airport ($1.7 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Auburn is run
Read from the city’s budget, meetings and official records.
1 upcoming meeting at town hall
From Auburn’s own agenda portal, checked daily. Agendas can change up to the meeting, so check before you go.
- Nov4Planning CommissionWednesday · 7:00 pm11/04/26 Planning Commission MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗Add to calendar
Recent meetings
- Nov3Art CommissionTuesday · 4:30 pm · Postmark Center for the Arts, 20 Auburn AveArts Commission MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Nov3Urban Tree BoardTuesday · 2:00 pm · Auburn Community & Event Center, 910 9th Street SEUrban Tree Board MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Nov3Fire Relief and Pension BoardTuesday · 11:00 am · 25 West Main Street, Council Chambers11-03-2026 Fire Relief and Pension Board MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Nov3GeneralTuesday · 10:00 am · 25 W Main StLEOFF Board Meeting 11-03-26Agenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Nov2City CouncilMonday · 7:00 pm · City Hall Council Chambers, 25 West Main Street11-02-2026 City Council MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
Most meetings are open to the public, and many have a public comment period at the start.
Agenda portal ↗About $1,715 per resident a year, or $4.70 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 45%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,454 per resident in 2022: more than 67% of them
Auburn’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,454 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 15 Washington cities of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,121, and the middle half spent $809–$1,638. Auburn spent more than 67% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($50.3 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 →
Washington cities of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Auburn itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is up 24% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Auburn 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: $1,454 · 2023: $1,552 · 2024: $1,715. Per resident it went from $1,454 to $1,715 (up 18%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 81,024 to 84,858.
full-time in March 2025, up from 436 in 2022.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $5,484 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.00% of the home’s value, vs 0.81% across Washington.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Auburn’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 Auburn’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Auburn →
Who’s in charge in Auburn
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time city employee for every 183 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (84,858).
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.
Auburn School District
Auburn’s K–12 school district, shared with Algona, Pacific. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $18,774 per pupil, $10,191 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.
Washington districts overall: 27% local, 66% state, 8% federal.
Kent School District · $20,051 per pupil
Federal Way School District · $18,682 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Auburn’s votes are counted by county
Washington reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Auburn alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are King County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat73.6%832,606 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican22.3%252,193 votesOthers: 4.0% (45,703 votes).
Most votes in King County: Kamala D Harris
Washington: Harris 57.2%, Trump 39.0%
89% of Auburn lies in King County; the rest in Pierce County. Every 2024 race in King County is on the county’s page.
King 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
Auburn sends 6 representatives to the Washington House alone.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: auburnwa.gov ↗
- 2Washington HouseAuburn is split between 3 districts
- 3Washington SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseSplit between districts
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Washington
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Auburn compares with the towns next door
Auburn spent $1,454 per resident in 2022; the 5 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $743 to $1,880. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Federal Way | $743 | $4,706 |
| Pacific | $1,138 | $5,011 |
| Kent | $1,251 | $5,446 |
| Algona | $1,349 | $3,733 |
| Sumner | $1,880 | $5,213 |
| Auburn | $1,454 | $5,484 |
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 Auburn’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Auburn’s government
How much does Auburn spend per resident?
About $1,715 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,454 was more than 67% of 15 Washington cities of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Auburn?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $5,484 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.00% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.81% across Washington. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see auburnwa.gov.
Who runs Auburn’s government?
See auburnwa.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Auburn yet.
How did Auburn vote in 2024?
Washington counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Auburn alone. King County, where 89% of Auburn lies, voted Harris 73.6%, Trump 22.3% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Auburn?
463 full-time and 170 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $4.6M (about $55.4M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Auburn in the state legislature?
Auburn is split among 3 State House districts and 3 State Senate districts, so your address decides. The Washington Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
When is the next public meeting in Auburn?
The next posted meeting is Planning Commission on Wednesday, November 4, at 7:00 pm, from the city’s own agenda portal.
Ask neighbors about Auburn’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 →