Photo: SounderBruce · CC BY-SA 4.0Cathlamet spent more per resident in 2022 than 90% of similar cities
Cathlamet’s town government spent $1.2 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $2,237 per resident. Water and other utilities ($513,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Cathlamet is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$2,237 per resident in 2022: more than 90% of them
Cathlamet’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($2,237 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 118 Washington cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $992, and the middle half spent $713–$1,338. Cathlamet spent more than 90% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($459,000), 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 under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Cathlamet itself left out).
About $2,237 per resident a year, or $6.13 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 38%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Cathlamet reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $2,580 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.67% 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 Cathlamet’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. In a town this small the estimate has a wide margin.
Tax bills are one input to Cathlamet’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Cathlamet →
Who’s in charge in Cathlamet
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Cathlamet’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on townofcathlamet.com ↗.
One full-time town employee for every 77 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (541).
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.
Wahkiakum School District
Cathlamet’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $19,803 per pupil, $10,833 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.
Cathlamet’s votes are counted by county
Washington reports official results by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Cathlamet alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Wahkiakum County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican57.4%1,757 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat39.3%1,204 votesOthers: 3.3% (101 votes).
Most votes in Wahkiakum County: Donald J Trump
Washington: Harris 57.2%, Trump 39.0%
100% of Cathlamet lies in Wahkiakum County. Every 2024 race in Wahkiakum County is on the county’s page.
Wahkiakum 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 Cathlamet.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: townofcathlamet.com ↗
- 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 Cathlamet compares with the towns next door
Cathlamet spent $2,237 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Cathlamet | $2,237 | $2,580 |
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 Cathlamet’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Cathlamet’s government
How much does Cathlamet spend per resident?
About $2,237 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $2,237 was more than 90% of 118 Washington cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Cathlamet?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,580 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.67% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.81% across Washington. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see townofcathlamet.com.
Who runs Cathlamet’s government?
See townofcathlamet.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Cathlamet yet.
How did Cathlamet vote in 2024?
Washington counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Cathlamet alone. Wahkiakum County, where 100% of Cathlamet lies, voted Trump 57.4%, Harris 39.3% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Cathlamet?
7 full-time and 8 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $38,604 (about $463,248 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Cathlamet in the state legislature?
State Senate District 19 (Jeff Wilson) and State House District 19 (Jim Walsh and Joel McEntire). The House district also covers 15 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Cathlamet’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 →