U.S. Post Office-Pullman · Photo: Joe Mabel · CC BY-SA 3.0Pullman spent less per resident in 2022 than 83% of similar cities
Pullman’s city government spent $35.4 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, about $1,089 per resident. Water and other utilities ($9.3 million) and the airport ($51.6 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Pullman is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
Who’s in charge in Pullman
From public records with a current term; a name is hidden the day its term ends.
About $1,089 per resident a year, or $2.98 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 25%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$876 per resident in 2022: less than 83% of them
Pullman’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($876 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 $1,450, and the middle half spent $1,060–$1,615. Pullman spent less than 83% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($4.5 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 →
Washington cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Pullman itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is up 18% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Pullman reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.
Day-to-day spending by fiscal year
Per resident: 2022: $876 · 2024: $1,089. Per resident it went from $876 to $1,089 (up 24%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 34,336 to 32,508.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $3,350 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.79% 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 Pullman’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 Pullman’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Pullman →
One full-time city employee for every 141 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (32,508).
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.
Pullman School District
Pullman’s K–12 school district, shared with Albion. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $16,141 per pupil, $9,070 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.
Pullman’s votes are counted by county
Washington reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Pullman alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Whitman County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat52.3%10,480 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican43.4%8,699 votesOthers: 4.2% (848 votes).
Most votes in Whitman County: Kamala D Harris
Washington: Harris 57.2%, Trump 39.0%
100% of Pullman lies in Whitman County. Every 2024 race in Whitman County is on the county’s page.
Whitman 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 Pullman.
- 1Your cityMayorFrancis A. Benjaminas listed by Open States, October 9, 2026
- 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 Pullman’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Pullman’s government
How much does Pullman spend per resident?
About $1,089 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 $876 was less than 83% of 18 Washington cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Pullman?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,350 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.79% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.81% across Washington. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the city’s assessor.
Who is the mayor of Pullman?
Francis A. Benjamin, as listed by Open States (checked October 9, 2026).
How did Pullman vote in 2024?
Washington counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Pullman alone. Whitman County, where 100% of Pullman lies, voted Harris 52.3%, Trump 43.4% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Pullman?
231 full-time and 123 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $1.7M (about $20.0M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Pullman in the state legislature?
State Senate District 9 (Mark Schoesler) and State House District 9 (Joe Schmick and Mary Dye). The House district also covers 39 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Pullman’s 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 →