Photo: Steven Pavlov · CC BY-SA 4.0Coulee Dam spent more per resident in 2022 than 77% of similar cities
Coulee Dam’s town government spent $1.5 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $1,383 per resident. Water and other utilities ($1.5 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Coulee Dam is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$1,383 per resident in 2022: more than 77% of them
Coulee Dam’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,383 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–$1,338. Coulee Dam spent more than 77% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($816,000), 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; Coulee Dam itself left out).
About $1,383 per resident a year, or $3.79 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 54%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Coulee Dam reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $1,778 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.75% 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 Coulee Dam’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 Coulee Dam’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Coulee Dam →
Who’s in charge in Coulee Dam
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Coulee Dam’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on townofcouleedam.org ↗.
One full-time town employee for every 108 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 (1,083).
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.
Grand Coulee Dam School District
Coulee Dam’s K–12 school district, shared with Electric City, Elmer City, Grand Coulee. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $19,299 per pupil, $10,453 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.
Coulee Dam’s votes are counted by county
Washington reports official results by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Coulee Dam alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Okanogan County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican55.7%11,555 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat40.8%8,466 votesOthers: 3.4% (711 votes).
Most votes in Okanogan County: Donald J Trump
Washington: Harris 57.2%, Trump 39.0%
84% of Coulee Dam lies in Okanogan County; the rest in Douglas County, Grant County. Every 2024 race in Okanogan County is on the county’s page.
Okanogan 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
Coulee Dam sends 4 representatives to the Washington House alone.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: townofcouleedam.org ↗
- 2Washington HouseCoulee Dam is split between 2 districts
- 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 Coulee Dam’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Coulee Dam’s government
How much does Coulee Dam spend per resident?
About $1,383 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 $1,383 was more than 77% of 118 Washington cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Coulee Dam?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,778 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.75% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.81% across Washington. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see townofcouleedam.org.
Who runs Coulee Dam’s government?
See townofcouleedam.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Coulee Dam yet.
How did Coulee Dam vote in 2024?
Washington counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Coulee Dam alone. Okanogan County, where 84% of Coulee Dam lies, voted Trump 55.7%, Harris 40.8% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Coulee Dam?
10 full-time and 8 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $56,268 (about $675,216 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Coulee Dam in the state legislature?
Coulee Dam is split among 2 State House districts and 2 State Senate districts, so your address decides. The Washington Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Coulee Dam’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 →