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Hoquiam, WA — Part of the Historic District (July 2016)Photo: Steven Pavlov · CC BY-SA 4.0
Town Hall · Hoquiam

Hoquiam spent more per resident in 2022 than 69% of similar cities

Hoquiam’s city government spent $13.2 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2023, about $1,493 per resident. Water and other utilities ($2.4 million) are counted separately.

Town website
Day-to-day spending, 2023
$13.2M
year to December 31, 2023
Per resident, 2023
$1,493
In 2022: $1,356, more than 69% of 65 similar cities
Long-term debt
$25.9M
end of 2023, reported
City staff, 2022
87
full-time · 17 part-time · March payroll $565,668
Typical tax bill
$1,976
0.87% of home value · WA 0.81%

What stands out about how Hoquiam is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

Compared with similar places

$1,356 per resident in 2022: more than 69% of them

Hoquiam’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,356 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–$1,504. Hoquiam spent more than 69% of them.

Middle half of the group, $890–$1,504Median $1,189Hoquiam

Includes sewer and trash ($2.1 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 →

The group
65

Washington cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Hoquiam itself left out).

Your share of the 2023 budget

About $1,493 per resident a year, or $4.09 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 28%.

Where the money comes from
Fees & charges 22%Interest, fines & other 19%Sales taxes 19%From the state 14%Utility sales 12%Property taxes 8%Other taxes & licenses 6%From other local governments <1%From the federal government <1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $8.3 million; interest on debt $1.1 million. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $25.2 million.
Over the years

Day-to-day spending is up 12% since 2022

Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Hoquiam reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.

Day-to-day spending by fiscal year

2022$11.8 million
2023$13.2 million

Per resident: 2022: $1,356 · 2023: $1,493.

Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $1,976 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.87% of the home’s value, vs 0.81% across Washington.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Washington$4,556
Aberdeen$2,045
Hoquiam$1,976
$1,976
typical bill a year
0.87%
effective rate
$228,200
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Hoquiam

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

See cityofhoquiam.com for Hoquiam’s current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Hoquiam yet.cityofhoquiam.com ↗
Agendas

Hoquiam’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on cityofhoquiam.com ↗.

Who works for Hoquiam

One full-time city employee for every 102 residents

On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2023 finance file (8,860).

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

Police24
Fire22
Administration & buildings7 + 14 pt
Courts, inspections & corrections7 + 3 pt
Water & other utilities5
Sewer & trash4
Housing & development3
Health & welfare2
Roads & transportation2
Parks & libraries2
Other9
87
full-time
17
part-time
$565,668
payroll for March 2022
$6.8M
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$77,200
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
22
sworn police officers
22
full-time firefighters
Compared, 2022.Hoquiam had 10.0 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 57 of the 65 Washington cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 6.6: Hoquiam had more than 84% 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

Hoquiam School District

Hoquiam’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Hoquiam →
$19,703
per pupil · WA $18,444
1,588
students
$1.2 million
long-term debt

Of the $19,703 per pupil, $10,819 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 17%State 65%Federal 18%

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

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Hoquiam’s votes are counted by county

Washington reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Hoquiam 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 Hoquiam 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 Hoquiam

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Hoquiam.

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 Hoquiam compares with the towns next door

Hoquiam spent $1,356 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
Hoquiam$1,356$1,976

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 Hoquiam’s government

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

The Handbook →

Questions about Hoquiam’s government

How much does Hoquiam spend per resident?

About $1,493 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2023, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,356 was more than 69% of 65 Washington cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Hoquiam?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,976 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.87% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.81% across Washington. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cityofhoquiam.com.

Who runs Hoquiam’s government?

See cityofhoquiam.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Hoquiam yet.

How did Hoquiam vote in 2024?

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

How many people work for Hoquiam?

87 full-time and 17 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $565,668 (about $6.8M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Hoquiam in the state legislature?

State Senate District 24 (Mike Chapman) and State House District 24 (Adam Bernbaum and Steve Tharinger). The House district also covers eight other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Hoquiam’s 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 →