Photo: Michael Barratt · Public domainOcean Shores spent more per resident in 2022 than 94% of similar cities
Ocean Shores’ city government spent $14.3 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $2,129 per resident. Water and other utilities ($2.7 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Ocean Shores is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$2,129 per resident in 2022: more than 94% of them
Ocean Shores’ day-to-day spending in 2022 ($2,129 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–$1,459. Ocean Shores spent more than 94% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($3.4 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 →
Washington cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Ocean Shores itself left out).
About $2,129 per resident a year, or $5.83 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: fire, at 25%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Ocean Shores reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $2,477 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.65% of the home’s value, vs 0.81% across Washington.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Ocean Shores’ 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 Ocean Shores’ Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Ocean Shores →
Who’s in charge in Ocean Shores
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Ocean Shores’ meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on osgov.com ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 80 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 (6,724).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
North Beach School District
Ocean Shores’ K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $19,044 per pupil, $10,517 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.
Washington districts overall: 27% local, 66% state, 8% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Ocean Shores’ votes are counted by county
Washington reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Ocean Shores alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Grays Harbor County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican51.4%19,425 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat45.4%17,159 votesOthers: 3.2% (1,200 votes).
Most votes in Grays Harbor County: Donald J Trump
Washington: Harris 57.2%, Trump 39.0%
100% of Ocean Shores lies in Grays Harbor County. Every 2024 race in Grays Harbor County is on the county’s page.
Grays Harbor County’s 2024 results →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.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for Ocean Shores.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: osgov.com ↗
- 2Washington HouseState representatives
- 3Washington SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Washington
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
Reach Ocean Shores’ government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Ocean Shores’ government
How much does Ocean Shores spend per resident?
About $2,129 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 $2,129 was more than 94% of 65 Washington cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Ocean Shores?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,477 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.65% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.81% across Washington. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see osgov.com.
Who runs Ocean Shores’ government?
See osgov.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Ocean Shores yet.
How did Ocean Shores vote in 2024?
Washington counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Ocean Shores alone. Grays Harbor County, where 100% of Ocean Shores lies, voted Trump 51.4%, Harris 45.4% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Ocean Shores?
84 full-time and 23 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $608,584 (about $7.3M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Ocean Shores 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 Ocean Shores’ government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
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 →