Photo: Steven Pavlov · CC BY-SA 3.0Chehalis spent more per resident in 2022 than 83% of similar cities
Chehalis’ city government spent $13.8 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $1,763 per resident. Water and other utilities ($2.3 million) and the airport ($1.3 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Chehalis is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,763 per resident in 2022: more than 83% of them
Chehalis’ day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,763 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. Chehalis spent more than 83% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($3.6 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 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Chehalis itself left out).
About $1,763 per resident a year, or $4.83 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 26%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Chehalis reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
full-time in March 2025, up from 99 in 2022.
The typical homeowner pays $2,605 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.70% 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 Chehalis’ 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 Chehalis’ Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Chehalis →
Who’s in charge in Chehalis
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Chehalis’ meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on ci.chehalis.wa.us ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 73 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (7,825).
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.
Chehalis School District
Chehalis’ K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $17,423 per pupil, $10,636 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.
Centralia School District · $17,813 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Chehalis’ votes are counted by county
Washington reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Chehalis 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 Chehalis 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 Chehalis.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: ci.chehalis.wa.us ↗
- 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 Chehalis compares with the towns next door
Chehalis spent $1,763 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Centralia | estimate | $2,146 |
| Chehalis | $1,763 | $2,605 |
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 Chehalis’ government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Chehalis’ government
How much does Chehalis spend per resident?
About $1,763 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 $1,763 was more than 83% of 65 Washington cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Chehalis?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,605 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.70% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.81% across Washington. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see ci.chehalis.wa.us.
Who runs Chehalis’ government?
See ci.chehalis.wa.us for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Chehalis yet.
How did Chehalis vote in 2024?
Washington counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Chehalis alone. Lewis County, where 100% of Chehalis lies, voted Trump 64.7%, Harris 31.8% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Chehalis?
107 full-time and 15 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $779,964 (about $9.4M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Chehalis 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 Chehalis’ 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 →