Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to Kennewick

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
Kennewick-ColumbiaRiverAerial (31695765421)Photo: formulanone from Huntsville, United States · CC BY-SA 2.0
Town Hall · Kennewick

Kennewick spent less per resident in 2022 than 67% of similar cities

Kennewick’s city government spent $94.5 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, about $1,115 per resident. Water and other utilities ($11.3 million) are counted separately.

Town website
Next public meeting

Hearing Examiner

6:00 pm · • Kennewick City Hall 210 W 6th Avenue Council Chambers Kennewick, WA 99336

All meetings →
Day-to-day spending, 2024
$94.5M
year to December 31, 2024
Per resident, 2024
$1,115
In 2022: $917, less than 67% of 15 similar cities
Long-term debt
$94.6M
end of 2024, reported
City staff, 2025
345
full-time · 14 part-time · March payroll $3.6M
Typical tax bill
$2,661
0.72% of home value · WA 0.81%

What stands out about how Kennewick is run

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

Agendas posted online6 upcoming meetings posted, with agendas.Spends less than most similar citiesIn 2022: $917 per resident, less than 67% of 15 similar cities.Split between districts2 State House districts cover Kennewick; your street decides yours.Its own police and fire105 sworn officers and 83 full-time firefighters on the payroll.
★ What stands out · Meetings

6 upcoming meetings at town hall

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

  • Nov9
    Hearing ExaminerMonday · 6:00 pm · • Kennewick City Hall 210 W 6th Avenue Council Chambers Kennewick, WA 99336Hearing Examiner MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗Add to calendar
  • Nov10
    City Council WorkshopTuesday · 6:30 pm · Kennewick City Hall - Council Chambers & Broadcast Live at www.Go2Kennewick.com, 210 W 6th AveCity Council Workshop MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
  • Nov11
    Arts CommissionWednesday · 6:00 pm · City Hall Council Chambers - 210 W 6th AvenueArts Commission MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
  • Nov16
    Planning CommissionMonday · 6:30 pm · Kennewick City Hall - Council Chambers - 210 W 6th Ave, Kennewick WA 99336Planning Commission MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
  • Nov17
    Historic Preservation CommissionTuesday · 4:30 pm · Kennewick City Hall - Cascade Conference Room - 210 W 6th Ave, Kennewick WA 99336Historic Preservation Commission MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
  • Nov17
    Civil Service CommissionTuesday · 5:30 pm · Kennewick Police Station - KPD Training Room - 211 W 6th Ave, Kennewick WA 99336Civil Service Commission MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar

Recent meetings

  • Nov3
    City Council Regular SessionTuesday · 6:30 pm · Kennewick City Hall - Council Chambers & Broadcast Live at www.Go2Kennewick.com, 210 W 6th AveCity Council Regular MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
  • Nov3
    City Council Special SessionTuesday · 5:30 pm · 210 W 6th Avenue, City Hall Councll ChambersCity Council Special MeetingMeeting page ↗
  • Nov3
    Disability BoardTuesday · 11:30 am · Kennewick City Hall 210 W 6th Avenue Cascade Conference Room Kennewick, WA 99336Disability Board MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
  • Nov2
    Planning CommissionMonday · 6:30 pm · Kennewick City Hall - Council Chambers - 210 W 6th Ave, Kennewick WA 99336Planning Commission Workshop MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
  • Oct27
    City Council WorkshopTuesday · 6:30 pm · Kennewick City Hall - Council Chambers & Broadcast Live at www.Go2Kennewick.com, 210 W 6th AveCity Council Workshop MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
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 2024 budget

About $1,115 per resident a year, or $3.05 a day

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

Where the money comes from
Sales taxes 32%Fees & charges 22%Utility sales 10%Interest, fines & other 10%Property taxes 10%From the state 7%Other taxes & licenses 5%From the federal government 3%From other local governments <1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $34.9 million; interest on debt $2 million. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $142.7 million.
Compared with similar places

$917 per resident in 2022: less than 67% of them

Kennewick’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($917 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 15 Washington cities of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,147, and the middle half spent $809–$1,638. Kennewick spent less than 67% of them.

Middle half of the group, $809–$1,638Median $1,147Kennewick

Includes sewer and trash ($6.9 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
15

Washington cities of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Kennewick itself left out).

Over the years

Day-to-day spending is up 22% since 2022

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

Day-to-day spending by fiscal year

2022$77.5 million
2023$83.5 million
2024$94.5 million

Per resident: 2022: $917 · 2023: $988 · 2024: $1,115.

City staff
345

full-time in March 2025, down from 396 in 2022.

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 $2,661 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.72% of the home’s value, vs 0.81% across Washington.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Washington$4,556
Richland$3,558
Finley$3,446
Pasco$2,708
Kennewick$2,661
$2,661
typical bill a year
0.72%
effective rate
$370,700
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Kennewick

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

See go2kennewick.com for Kennewick’s current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Kennewick yet.go2kennewick.com ↗
Who works for Kennewick

One full-time city employee for every 246 residents

On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (84,750).

By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025

Police119
Fire95
Administration & buildings35 + 11 pt
Parks & libraries35 + 3 pt
Roads & transportation22
Water & other utilities19
Sewer & trash12
Courts, inspections & corrections8
345
full-time
14
part-time
$3.6M
payroll for March 2025
$43.2M
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$124,700
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
105
sworn police officers
83
full-time firefighters
Compared, 2022.Kennewick had 4.7 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 11 of the 15 Washington cities of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 6.7: Kennewick had fewer than 82% 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

Kennewick School District

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

Schools in Kennewick →
$16,404
per pupil · WA $18,444
18,805
students
$164.8 million
long-term debt

Of the $16,404 per pupil, $9,782 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 12%State 75%Federal 13%

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

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Kennewick’s votes are counted by county

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

President · Benton County’s results100,560 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican59.1%59,435 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat37.4%37,651 votes

Others: 3.5% (3,474 votes).

Most votes in Benton County: Donald J Trump

Washington: Harris 57.2%, Trump 39.0%

The county’s page

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

Benton 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 Kennewick

From town hall to Washington

Kennewick sends 4 representatives to the Washington House alone.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Officials: go2kennewick.com ↗
  2. 2
    Washington HouseKennewick is split between 2 districts
    April ConnorsStephanie BarnardDeb ManjarrezGloria Mendoza
  3. 3
    Washington SenateState senator
    Matt BoehnkeCurtis King
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
    Bob Ferguson
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
    Dan Newhouse
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Washington
    Patty MurrayMaria Cantwell
Find your state legislators by address ↗

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

Next door

How Kennewick compares with the towns next door

Kennewick spent $917 per resident in 2022; the 2 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $1,121 to $1,727. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.

Finley: unincorporated, no town budgetRichland: $1,727 per resident (2022)Pasco: $1,121 per resident (2022)FinleyRichlandPascoKennewick
Spends the leastSpends the mostEstimate or no figures
TownDay-to-day, per resident (2022)Tax bill
Pasco$1,121$2,708
Richland$1,727$3,558
Kennewick$917$2,661

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 Kennewick’s government

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

The Handbook →
Official websitego2kennewick.com ↗

Questions about Kennewick’s government

How much does Kennewick spend per resident?

About $1,115 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $917 was less than 67% of 15 Washington cities of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Kennewick?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,661 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.72% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.81% across Washington. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see go2kennewick.com.

Who runs Kennewick’s government?

See go2kennewick.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Kennewick yet.

How did Kennewick vote in 2024?

Washington counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Kennewick alone. Benton County, where 100% of Kennewick lies, voted Trump 59.1%, Harris 37.4% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Kennewick?

345 full-time and 14 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $3.6M (about $43.2M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Kennewick in the state legislature?

Kennewick 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.

When is the next public meeting in Kennewick?

The next posted meeting is Hearing Examiner on Monday, November 9, at 6:00 pm in • Kennewick City Hall 210 W 6th Avenue Council Chambers Kennewick, WA 99336, from the city’s own agenda portal.

Ask neighbors about Kennewick’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 →