Photo: Joe Mabel · CC BY-SA 3.0Burlington spent more per resident in 2022 than 97% of similar cities
Burlington’s city government spent $26.1 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, about $2,682 per resident.
What stands out about how Burlington is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$2,256 per resident in 2022: more than 97% of them
Burlington’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($2,256 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 65 Washington cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,189, and the middle half spent $890–$1,459. Burlington spent more than 97% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($3.4 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 →
Washington cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Burlington itself left out).
About $2,682 per resident a year, or $7.35 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: fire, at 23%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 21% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Burlington 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: $2,256 · 2023: $2,391 · 2024: $2,682.
full-time in March 2025, up from 118 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 $3,773 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.81% 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 Burlington’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 Burlington’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Burlington →
Who’s in charge in Burlington
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Burlington’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on burlingtonwa.gov ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 81 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 (9,745).
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.
Burlington-Edison School District
Burlington’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $19,867 per pupil, $11,803 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.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Burlington’s votes are counted by county
Washington reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Burlington alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Skagit County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat52.6%36,346 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican43.8%30,278 votesOthers: 3.6% (2,507 votes).
Most votes in Skagit County: Kamala D Harris
Washington: Harris 57.2%, Trump 39.0%
100% of Burlington lies in Skagit County. Every 2024 race in Skagit County is on the county’s page.
Skagit 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 Burlington.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: burlingtonwa.gov ↗
- 2Washington HouseState representatives
- 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 Burlington compares with the towns next door
Burlington spent $2,256 per resident in 2022; the neighbor that reported 2022 spent $1,531. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Mount Vernon | $1,531 | $4,268 |
| Burlington | $2,256 | $3,773 |
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 Burlington’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Burlington’s government
How much does Burlington spend per resident?
About $2,682 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 $2,256 was more than 97% of 65 Washington cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Burlington?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,773 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.81% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.81% across Washington. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see burlingtonwa.gov.
Who runs Burlington’s government?
See burlingtonwa.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Burlington yet.
How did Burlington vote in 2024?
Washington counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Burlington alone. Skagit County, where 100% of Burlington lies, voted Harris 52.6%, Trump 43.8% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Burlington?
121 full-time and 27 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $1.2M (about $14.8M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Burlington in the state legislature?
State Senate District 40 (Liz Lovelett) and State House District 40 (Alex Ramel and Debra Lekanoff). The House district also covers four other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Burlington’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 →