Photo: Joe Mabel · CC BY-SA 3.0Chelan spent more per resident in 2022 than 100% of similar cities
Chelan’s city government spent $11.8 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $2,780 per resident. Water and other utilities ($1.7 million) and the airport ($332,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Chelan is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$2,780 per resident in 2022: more than 100% of them
Chelan’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($2,780 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. Chelan spent more than 100% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($2.9 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; Chelan itself left out).
About $2,780 per resident a year, or $7.62 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: parks & libraries, at 26%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Chelan reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $3,303 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.64% 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 Chelan’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 Chelan’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Chelan →
Who’s in charge in Chelan
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Chelan’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on cityofchelan.com ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 83 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 (4,245).
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.
Lake Chelan School District
Chelan’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $18,373 per pupil, $10,533 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.
Chelan’s votes are counted by county
Washington reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Chelan alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Chelan County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican53.0%22,339 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat43.6%18,393 votesOthers: 3.4% (1,431 votes).
Most votes in Chelan County: Donald J Trump
Washington: Harris 57.2%, Trump 39.0%
100% of Chelan lies in Chelan County. Every 2024 race in Chelan County is on the county’s page.
Chelan 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 Chelan.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: cityofchelan.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.
Reach Chelan’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Chelan’s government
How much does Chelan spend per resident?
About $2,780 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 $2,780 was more than 100% of 65 Washington cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Chelan?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,303 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.64% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.81% across Washington. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cityofchelan.com.
Who runs Chelan’s government?
See cityofchelan.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Chelan yet.
How did Chelan vote in 2024?
Washington counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Chelan alone. Chelan County, where 100% of Chelan lies, voted Trump 53.0%, Harris 43.6% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Chelan?
51 full-time and 21 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $374,898 (about $4.5M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Chelan in the state legislature?
State Senate District 12 (Keith Goehner) and State House District 12 (Brian Burnett and Mike Steele). The House district also covers 12 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Chelan’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 →