Colton spent less per resident in 2022 than 67% of similar cities
Colton’s town government spent $366,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $826 per resident. Water and other utilities ($73,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Colton is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$826 per resident in 2022: less than 67% of them
Colton’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($826 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 $995, and the middle half spent $713–$1,357. Colton spent less than 67% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($171,000), 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; Colton itself left out).
About $826 per resident a year, or $2.26 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 47%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Colton reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $2,657 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.77% 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 Colton’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 Colton’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Colton →
Who’s in charge in Colton
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Colton’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on coltonwashington.us ↗.
One full-time town employee for every 443 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 (443).
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.
Colton School District
Colton’s K–12 school district, shared with Uniontown. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $22,994 per pupil, $13,129 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.
Colton’s votes are counted by county
Washington reports official results by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Colton alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Whitman County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat52.3%10,480 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican43.4%8,699 votesOthers: 4.2% (848 votes).
Most votes in Whitman County: Kamala D Harris
Washington: Harris 57.2%, Trump 39.0%
100% of Colton lies in Whitman County. Every 2024 race in Whitman County is on the county’s page.
Whitman 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 Colton.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: coltonwashington.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.
Reach Colton’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Colton’s government
How much does Colton spend per resident?
About $826 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 $826 was less than 67% of 118 Washington cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Colton?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,657 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.77% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.81% across Washington. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see coltonwashington.us.
Who runs Colton’s government?
See coltonwashington.us for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Colton yet.
How did Colton vote in 2024?
Washington counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Colton alone. Whitman County, where 100% of Colton lies, voted Harris 52.3%, Trump 43.4% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Colton?
1 full-time and 5 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $12,794 (about $153,528 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Colton in the state legislature?
State Senate District 9 (Mark Schoesler) and State House District 9 (Joe Schmick and Mary Dye). The House district also covers 39 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Colton’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 →