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Neil Cooney MansionNeil Cooney Mansion · Photo: Jon Roanhaus · CC BY-SA 3.0
Town Hall · Cosmopolis

Cosmopolis spent more per resident in 2022 than 70% of similar cities

Cosmopolis’ city government spent $2.1 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $1,270 per resident. Water and other utilities ($564,000) are counted separately.

Town website
Election Day

Tomorrow

General election in Washington.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$2.1M
year to December 31, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$1,270
In 2022: $1,270, more than 70% of 118 similar cities
Long-term debt
$2.9M
end of 2022, reported
City staff, 2022
19
full-time · 11 part-time · March payroll $86,442
Typical tax bill
$2,443
0.77% of home value · WA 0.81%

What stands out about how Cosmopolis is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

Compared with similar places

$1,270 per resident in 2022: more than 70% of them

Cosmopolis’ day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,270 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–$1,357. Cosmopolis spent more than 70% of them.

Middle half of the group, $713–$1,357Median $992Cosmopolis

Includes sewer and trash ($588,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →

The group
118

Washington cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Cosmopolis itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $1,270 per resident a year, or $3.48 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 40%.

Where the money comes from
Sales taxes 28%Property taxes 20%Utility sales 16%Fees & charges 16%From the state 11%Other taxes & licenses 9%Interest, fines & other 1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $150,000; interest on debt $123,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $3 million.
Over the years

No trend yet

Cosmopolis reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $2,443 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.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Washington$4,556
Cosmopolis$2,443
Aberdeen$2,045
$2,443
typical bill a year
0.77%
effective rate
$317,000
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Cosmopolis’ 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 Cosmopolis’ Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Cosmopolis →

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Cosmopolis

Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.

See cosmopoliswa.gov for Cosmopolis’ current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Cosmopolis yet.cosmopoliswa.gov ↗
Agendas

Cosmopolis’ meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on cosmopoliswa.gov ↗.

Who works for Cosmopolis

One full-time city employee for every 88 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 (1,680).

By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022

Administration & buildings4 + 6 pt
Police6
Roads & transportation3 + 1 pt
Parks & libraries3 + 1 pt
Sewer & trash3 + 1 pt
Courts, inspections & corrections0 + 1 pt
Other0 + 1 pt
19
full-time
11
part-time
$86,442
payroll for March 2022
$1.0M
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$51,600
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
5
sworn police officers
Compared, 2022.Cosmopolis had 11.3 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 100 of the 118 Washington cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 6.3: Cosmopolis had more than 83% of them. Same group and year as the budget comparison.

The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.

The school district

Cosmopolis School District

Cosmopolis’ elementary school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Cosmopolis →
$22,539
per pupil · WA $18,444
167
students
$2.3 million
long-term debt

Of the $22,539 per pupil, $13,120 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.

The district: schools, scores and graduation →

Where the district’s money comes from
Local 20%State 69%Federal 10%

Washington districts overall: 27% local, 66% state, 8% federal.

School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.

Elections · 2024 general election

Cosmopolis’ votes are counted by county

Washington reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Cosmopolis alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Grays Harbor County’s results.

President · Grays Harbor County’s results37,784 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican51.4%19,425 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat45.4%17,159 votes

Others: 3.2% (1,200 votes).

Most votes in Grays Harbor County: Donald J Trump

Washington: Harris 57.2%, Trump 39.0%

The county’s page

100% of Cosmopolis lies in Grays Harbor County. Every 2024 race in Grays Harbor County is on the county’s page.

Grays Harbor County’s 2024 results →
DemocratRepublicanLibertarianIndependent / other

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.

Who represents Cosmopolis

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Cosmopolis.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
  2. 2
    Washington HouseState representatives
  3. 3
    Washington SenateState senator
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Washington

Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.

Next door

How Cosmopolis compares with the towns next door

Cosmopolis spent $1,270 per resident in 2022; the neighbor that reported 2022 spent $1,684. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.

Spends the leastSpends the mostEstimate or no figures
TownDay-to-day, per resident (2022)Tax bill
Aberdeen$1,684$2,045
Cosmopolis$1,270$2,443

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 Cosmopolis’ government

The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Cosmopolis’ government

How much does Cosmopolis spend per resident?

About $1,270 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 $1,270 was more than 70% of 118 Washington cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Cosmopolis?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,443 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 cosmopoliswa.gov.

Who runs Cosmopolis’ government?

See cosmopoliswa.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Cosmopolis yet.

How did Cosmopolis vote in 2024?

Washington counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Cosmopolis alone. Grays Harbor County, where 100% of Cosmopolis lies, voted Trump 51.4%, Harris 45.4% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Cosmopolis?

19 full-time and 11 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $86,442 (about $1.0M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Cosmopolis 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 Cosmopolis’ government

Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.

Town Square →
Ask neighbors

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 →