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Main Post Office - Kelso WashingtonPhoto: Ian Poellet (User:Werewombat) · CC BY-SA 3.0
Town Hall · Kelso

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

Kelso’s city government spent $17 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $1,370 per resident. Water and other utilities ($3 million) and the airport ($691,000) are counted separately.

Town website
Next public meeting

City Council

6:00 pm · 203 S. Pacific Ave

All meetings →
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$17.0M
year to December 31, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$1,370
In 2022: $1,370, more than 70% of 40 similar cities
Long-term debt
$19.9M
end of 2022, reported
City staff, 2022
79
full-time · 17 part-time · March payroll $618,333 · Census estimate
Typical tax bill
$2,945
0.87% of home value · WA 0.81%

What stands out about how Kelso is run

Read from the city’s budget, meetings and official records.

Agendas posted online5 upcoming meetings posted, with agendas.Spends more than most similar citiesIn 2022: $1,370 per resident, more than 70% of 40 similar cities.Runs its own water & sewer46% of day-to-day spending goes to water, sewer and trash (2022).Low bills, a higher rateThe typical bill is $2,945 a year: 0.87% of the home’s value, vs 0.81% across Washington.
★ What stands out · Meetings

5 upcoming meetings at town hall

From Kelso’s own agenda portal, checked daily. Agendas can change up to the meeting, so check before you go.

Recent meetings

Go in person

Most meetings are open to the public, and many have a public comment period at the start.

Agenda portal ↗
Your share of the 2022 budget

About $1,370 per resident a year, or $3.75 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 38%.

Where the money comes from
Fees & charges 31%From the state 22%Sales taxes 22%Utility sales 13%Other taxes & licenses 5%Property taxes 5%From other local governments 1%Interest, fines & other 1%From the federal government <1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $8.4 million; interest on debt $856,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $30 million.
Compared with similar places

$1,370 per resident in 2022: more than 70% of them

Kelso’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,370 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 40 Washington cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,128, and the middle half spent $944–$1,528. Kelso spent more than 70% of them.

Middle half of the group, $944–$1,528Median $1,128Kelso

Includes sewer and trash ($6.5 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
40

Washington cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Kelso itself left out).

Over the years

No trend yet

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

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $2,945 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
Kelso$2,945
Longview$2,749
$2,945
typical bill a year
0.87%
effective rate
$337,600
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Kelso

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

See kelso.gov for Kelso’s current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Kelso yet.kelso.gov ↗
Who works for Kelso

One full-time city employee for every 157 residents

On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (12,438).

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

Police34 + 1 pt
Administration & buildings10 + 9 pt
Parks & libraries7 + 7 pt
Water & other utilities7
Sewer & trash5
Roads & transportation4
Housing & development2
Other10
79
full-time
17
part-time
$618,333
payroll for March 2022
$7.4M
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$91,900
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
27
sworn police officers
Estimates.Kelso didn’t report its staff figures; these are the Census Bureau’s estimates, so they aren’t compared with other towns.

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

Kelso School District

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

Schools in Kelso →
$17,454
per pupil · WA $18,444
4,949
students
$86.3 million
long-term debt

Of the $17,454 per pupil, $9,962 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 73%Federal 10%

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

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Kelso’s votes are counted by county

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

President · Cowlitz County’s results59,325 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican58.3%34,580 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat38.5%22,825 votes

Others: 3.2% (1,920 votes).

Most votes in Cowlitz County: Donald J Trump

Washington: Harris 57.2%, Trump 39.0%

The county’s page

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

Cowlitz 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 Kelso

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Kelso.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Officials: kelso.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.

Next door

How Kelso compares with the towns next door

Kelso spent $1,370 per resident in 2022; the neighbor that reported 2022 spent $1,626. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.

Longview: $1,626 per resident (2022)LongviewKelso
Spends the leastSpends the mostEstimate or no figures
TownDay-to-day, per resident (2022)Tax bill
Longview$1,626$2,749
Kelso$1,370$2,945

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 Kelso’s government

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

The Handbook →
Official websitekelso.gov ↗

Questions about Kelso’s government

How much does Kelso spend per resident?

About $1,370 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 $1,370 was more than 70% of 40 Washington cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Kelso?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,945 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 kelso.gov.

Who runs Kelso’s government?

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

How did Kelso vote in 2024?

Washington counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Kelso alone. Cowlitz County, where 100% of Kelso lies, voted Trump 58.3%, Harris 38.5% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Kelso?

79 full-time and 17 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $618,333 (about $7.4M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.

Who represents Kelso 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.

When is the next public meeting in Kelso?

The next posted meeting is City Council on Tuesday, November 17, at 6:00 pm in 203 S. Pacific Ave, from the city’s own agenda portal.

Ask neighbors about Kelso’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 →