Photo: Dcoetzee · Public domainBremerton spent more per resident in 2022 than 72% of similar cities
Bremerton’s city government spent $71.4 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2023, about $1,618 per resident. That is its newest year reported to the Census Bureau. Water and other utilities ($12.4 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Bremerton is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
Who’s in charge in Bremerton
From public records with a current term; a name is hidden the day its term ends.
Council members and agencies: bremertonwa.gov ↗
Bremerton’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on bremertonwa.gov ↗.
About $1,618 per resident a year, or $4.43 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 23%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,581 per resident in 2022: more than 72% of them
Bremerton’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,581 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 18 Washington cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,353, and the middle half spent $986–$1,612. Bremerton spent more than 72% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($15.6 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 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Bremerton itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is up 7% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Bremerton 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: $1,581 · 2023: $1,618.
full-time in March 2025, up from 344 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 $3,268 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.74% 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 Bremerton’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 Bremerton’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Bremerton →
One full-time city employee for every 121 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 2023 finance file (44,122).
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.
South Kitsap School District
Bremerton’s K–12 school district, shared with Port Orchard. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $18,593 per pupil, $10,390 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.
Bremerton School District · $21,371 per pupil
Central Kitsap School District · $17,700 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Bremerton’s votes are counted by county
Washington reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Bremerton alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Kitsap County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat58.5%91,268 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican37.6%58,725 votesOthers: 3.9% (6,036 votes).
Most votes in Kitsap County: Kamala D Harris
Washington: Harris 57.2%, Trump 39.0%
100% of Bremerton lies in Kitsap County. Every 2024 race in Kitsap County is on the county’s page.
Kitsap 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
Bremerton sends 4 representatives to the Washington House alone.
- 1Your cityMayorGreg Wheeleras listed by Open States, October 9, 2026
- 2Washington HouseBremerton is split between 2 districts
- 3Washington SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Washington
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Bremerton compares with the towns next door
Bremerton spent $1,581 per resident in 2022; the neighbor that reported 2022 spent $1,256. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Port Orchard | $1,256 | $3,992 |
| Bremerton | $1,581 | $3,268 |
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 Bremerton’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Bremerton’s government
How much does Bremerton spend per resident?
About $1,618 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2023, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,581 was more than 72% of 18 Washington cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Bremerton?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,268 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.74% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.81% across Washington. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see bremertonwa.gov.
Who is the mayor of Bremerton?
Greg Wheeler, as listed by Open States (checked October 9, 2026). The council and agencies are listed on bremertonwa.gov.
How did Bremerton vote in 2024?
Washington counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Bremerton alone. Kitsap County, where 100% of Bremerton lies, voted Harris 58.5%, Trump 37.6% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Bremerton?
364 full-time and 22 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $3.4M (about $40.6M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Bremerton in the state legislature?
Bremerton is split among 2 State House districts and 2 State Senate districts, so your address decides. The Washington Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Bremerton’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 →