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Ilwaco, Washington - panoramioPhoto: Sam Beebe/Ecotrust · CC BY-SA 3.0
Town Hall · Ilwaco

Ilwaco spent more per resident in 2022 than 83% of similar cities

Ilwaco’s city government spent $1.7 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $1,700 per resident. Water and other utilities ($600,000) are counted separately.

Town website
Election Day

Today

General election in Washington.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$1.7M
year to December 31, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$1,700
In 2022: $1,700, more than 83% of 118 similar cities
Long-term debt
$6.5M
end of 2022, reported
City staff, 2022
10
full-time · 9 part-time · March payroll $54,633
Typical tax bill
$3,167
0.86% of home value · WA 0.81%

What stands out about how Ilwaco is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

Spends more than most similar citiesIn 2022: $1,700 per resident, more than 83% of 118 similar cities.Runs its own water & sewer62% of day-to-day spending goes to water, sewer and trash (2022).A shared school districtShares Ocean Beach School District with 1 other town.Low bills, a higher rateThe typical bill is $3,167 a year: 0.86% of the home’s value, vs 0.81% across Washington.
Compared with similar places

$1,700 per resident in 2022: more than 83% of them

Ilwaco’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,700 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. Ilwaco spent more than 83% of them.

Middle half of the group, $713–$1,338Median $992Ilwaco

Includes sewer and trash ($843,000), 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; Ilwaco itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $1,700 per resident a year, or $4.66 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 49%.

Where the money comes from
Fees & charges 33%Utility sales 21%Sales taxes 16%From the state 15%Property taxes 6%Other taxes & licenses 4%From other local governments 3%Interest, fines & other 1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $883,000; interest on debt $167,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $3.4 million.
Over the years

No trend yet

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

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $3,167 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.86% of the home’s value, vs 0.81% across Washington.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Washington$4,556
Ilwaco$3,167
$3,167
typical bill a year
0.86%
effective rate
$370,300
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Ilwaco

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

See ilwaco-wa.gov for Ilwaco’s current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Ilwaco yet.ilwaco-wa.gov ↗
Agendas

Ilwaco’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on ilwaco-wa.gov ↗.

Who works for Ilwaco

One full-time city employee for every 101 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 (1,006).

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

Administration & buildings2 + 7 pt
Parks & libraries3
Water & other utilities3
Sewer & trash2
Fire0 + 2 pt
10
full-time
9
part-time
$54,633
payroll for March 2022
$655,596
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$59,300
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
Compared, 2022.Ilwaco had 9.9 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: Ilwaco had more than 78% 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

Ocean Beach School District

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

Schools in Ilwaco →
$16,478
per pupil · WA $18,444
1,019
students
$312,000
long-term debt

Of the $16,478 per pupil, $8,410 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 25%State 67%Federal 8%

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

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Ilwaco’s votes are counted by county

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

President · Pacific County’s results13,954 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican48.8%6,803 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat48.4%6,750 votes

Others: 2.9% (401 votes).

Most votes in Pacific County: Donald J Trump

Washington: Harris 57.2%, Trump 39.0%

The county’s page

100% of Ilwaco lies in Pacific County. Every 2024 race in Pacific County is on the county’s page.

Pacific 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 Ilwaco

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Ilwaco.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Officials: ilwaco-wa.gov ↗
  2. 2
    Washington HouseState representatives
    Jim WalshJoel McEntire
  3. 3
    Washington SenateState senator
    Jeff Wilson
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
    Bob Ferguson
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
    Marie Gluesenkamp Perez
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Washington
    Patty MurrayMaria Cantwell

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

Reach Ilwaco’s government

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

The Handbook →
Official websiteilwaco-wa.gov ↗

Questions about Ilwaco’s government

How much does Ilwaco spend per resident?

About $1,700 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 $1,700 was more than 83% of 118 Washington cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Ilwaco?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,167 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.86% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.81% across Washington. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see ilwaco-wa.gov.

Who runs Ilwaco’s government?

See ilwaco-wa.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Ilwaco yet.

How did Ilwaco vote in 2024?

Washington counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Ilwaco alone. Pacific County, where 100% of Ilwaco lies, voted Trump 48.8%, Harris 48.4% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Ilwaco?

10 full-time and 9 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $54,633 (about $655,596 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Ilwaco 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 Ilwaco’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 →