Photo: Steven Pavlov · CC BY-SA 3.0How is Centralia run?
Centralia’s city government spent $20.2 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, about $1,077 per resident. Water and other utilities ($27.2 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Centralia is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
About $1,077 per resident a year, or $2.95 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 32%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No comparison or trend for Centralia yet
The fair comparison uses 2022, the last year the Census Bureau counted every government (later years are a sample), and Centralia’s 2022 figures are a Census estimate (it reported none of its 2022 dollars). It reported 2024 only (2022 is an estimate), so there is no trend yet either. The next full count is 2027.
How Town Hall compares budgets →The typical homeowner pays $2,146 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 Centralia’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 Centralia’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Centralia →
Who’s in charge in Centralia
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Centralia’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on cityofcentralia.com ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 123 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (18,773).
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.
Centralia School District
Centralia’s K–12 school district, shared with Bucoda. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $17,813 per pupil, $10,026 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.
Centralia’s votes are counted by county
Washington reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Centralia alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Lewis County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican64.7%29,308 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat31.8%14,431 votesOthers: 3.5% (1,583 votes).
Most votes in Lewis County: Donald J Trump
Washington: Harris 57.2%, Trump 39.0%
100% of Centralia lies in Lewis County. Every 2024 race in Lewis County is on the county’s page.
Lewis 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 Centralia.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: cityofcentralia.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 Centralia compares with the towns next door
Centralia’s 2022 figures are a Census estimate, so it isn’t placed among them. Neighbors that reported 2022 spent $1,763 per resident. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Chehalis | $1,763 | $2,605 |
| Centralia | estimate | $2,146 |
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 Centralia’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Centralia’s government
How much does Centralia spend per resident?
About $1,077 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau.
What is the property tax rate in Centralia?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,146 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 cityofcentralia.com.
Who runs Centralia’s government?
See cityofcentralia.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Centralia yet.
How did Centralia vote in 2024?
Washington counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Centralia alone. Lewis County, where 100% of Centralia lies, voted Trump 64.7%, Harris 31.8% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Centralia?
153 full-time and 9 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $1.2M (about $14.0M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Centralia in the state legislature?
State Senate District 20 (John Braun) and State House District 20 (Ed Orcutt and Peter Abbarno). The House district also covers 10 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Centralia’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 →