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Longviewwa1Photo: khiara jones · Public domain
Town Hall · Longview

Longview spent more per resident in 2022 than 78% of similar cities

Longview’s city government spent $62.6 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $1,626 per resident. Water and other utilities ($14.5 million) are counted separately.

Town website
Election Day

Tomorrow

General election in Washington.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$62.6M
year to December 31, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$1,626
In 2022: $1,626, more than 78% of 18 similar cities
Long-term debt
$50.3M
end of 2022, reported
City staff, 2025
320
full-time · 46 part-time · March payroll $2.7M
Typical tax bill
$2,749
0.76% of home value · WA 0.81%

What stands out about how Longview is run

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

Agendas posted online6 upcoming meetings posted, with agendas.Spends more than most similar citiesIn 2022: $1,626 per resident, more than 78% of 18 similar cities.Runs its own water & sewer47% of day-to-day spending goes to water, sewer and trash (2022).Its own police and fire58 sworn officers and 51 full-time firefighters on the payroll.
★ What stands out · Meetings

6 upcoming meetings at town hall

From Longview’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 $1,626 per resident a year, or $4.45 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 35%.

Where the money comes from
Fees & charges 33%Sales taxes 22%Utility sales 14%Property taxes 11%From the state 8%Other taxes & licenses 7%From the federal government 3%Interest, fines & other 2%From other local governments <1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $9.1 million; interest on debt $2.2 million. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $88.5 million.
Compared with similar places

$1,626 per resident in 2022: more than 78% of them

Longview’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,626 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 18 Washington cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,353, and the middle half spent $986–$1,578. Longview spent more than 78% of them.

Middle half of the group, $986–$1,578Median $1,353Longview

Includes sewer and trash ($21.6 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
18

Washington cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Longview itself left out).

Over the years

No trend yet

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

City staff
320

full-time in March 2025, up from 284 in 2022.

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $2,749 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.76% of the home’s value, vs 0.81% across Washington.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Washington$4,556
Longview Heights$3,654
Kelso$2,945
Longview$2,749
$2,749
typical bill a year
0.76%
effective rate
$361,600
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Longview

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

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

One full-time city employee for every 120 residents

On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (38,515).

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

Police81
Parks & libraries42 + 45 pt
Fire53
Water & other utilities41
Administration & buildings37 + 1 pt
Roads & transportation34
Sewer & trash9
Housing & development8
Courts, inspections & corrections4
Other11
320
full-time
46
part-time
$2.7M
payroll for March 2025
$32.5M
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$99,400
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
58
sworn police officers
51
full-time firefighters
Compared, 2022.Longview had 7.4 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 13 of the 18 Washington cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 5.3: Longview had more than 85% 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

Longview Public Schools

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

Schools in Longview →
$17,194
per pupil · WA $18,444
6,378
students
None
long-term debt

Of the $17,194 per pupil, $9,896 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 19%State 68%Federal 12%

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

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Longview’s votes are counted by county

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

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Longview.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Officials: mylongview.com ↗
  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 Longview compares with the towns next door

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

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

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 Longview’s government

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

The Handbook →
Official websitemylongview.com ↗

Questions about Longview’s government

How much does Longview spend per resident?

About $1,626 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 $1,626 was more than 78% of 18 Washington cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Longview?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,749 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.76% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.81% across Washington. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see mylongview.com.

Who runs Longview’s government?

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

How did Longview vote in 2024?

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

How many people work for Longview?

320 full-time and 46 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $2.7M (about $32.5M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Longview 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 Longview?

The next posted meeting is Civil Service Commission on Tuesday, November 3, at 4:00 pm in 1525 Broadway St., from the city’s own agenda portal.

Ask neighbors about Longview’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 →