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Downtown RidgefieldPhoto: Jeff Silverstein / Jeffsilverstein at en.wikipedia · Public domain
Town Hall · Ridgefield

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

Ridgefield’s city government spent $17.3 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $1,530 per resident. Water and other utilities ($2.1 million) are counted separately.

Town website
Next public meeting

Planning Commission

6:30 pm · RACC - Columbia Assembly Room - 510 Pioneer Street, Ridgefield, WA 98642

All meetings →
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$17.3M
year to December 31, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$1,530
In 2022: $1,530, more than 78% of 40 similar cities
Long-term debt
$23.7M
end of 2022, reported
City staff, 2022
63
full-time · 9 part-time · March payroll $434,841
Typical tax bill
$4,313
0.70% of home value · WA 0.81%

What stands out about how Ridgefield 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: $1,530 per resident, more than 78% of 40 similar cities.
★ What stands out · Meetings

6 upcoming meetings at town hall

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

Recent meetings

  • Oct29
    GeneralThursday · 4:00 pm · RACC - Columbia Assembly Room, 510 Pioneer StreetCity Council Study Session MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
  • Oct22
    City CouncilThursday · 6:30 pm · RACC - Columbia Assembly Room - 510 Pioneer Street, Ridgefield, WA 98642City Council Meeting - CANCELLEDMeeting page ↗
  • Oct21
    GeneralWednesday · 6:30 pm · RACC - Columbia Assembly Room - 510 Pioneer Street, Ridgefield, WA 98642Planning Commission Meeting - RESCHEDULED FROM 10/7/2026Agenda ↗Meeting page ↗
  • Oct15
    GeneralThursday · 6:30 pm · RACC - Columbia Assembly Room - 510 Pioneer StreetCity Council Special MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
  • Oct14
    Parks BoardWednesday · 6:30 pm · RACC - Columbia Assembly Room - 510 Pioneer Street, Ridgefield, WA 98642Parks Board 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 2022 budget

About $1,530 per resident a year, or $4.19 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 17%.

Where the money comes from
Other taxes & licenses 53%Sales taxes 17%Fees & charges 9%Utility sales 8%From the state 8%Property taxes 5%Interest, fines & other 1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $4.4 million; interest on debt $750,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $24.6 million.
About “Other”.55% of Ridgefield’s day-to-day spending ($9.5 million) is filed by the Census Bureau outside the named functions above, so the receipt can’t say what it buys.
Compared with similar places

$1,530 per resident in 2022: more than 78% of them

Ridgefield’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,530 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–$1,514. Ridgefield spent more than 78% of them.

Middle half of the group, $944–$1,514Median $1,128Ridgefield

Includes sewer and trash ($901,000), 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; Ridgefield itself left out).

Over the years

No trend yet

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

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $4,313 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.70% of the home’s value, vs 0.81% across Washington.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Washington$4,556
Ridgefield$4,313
$4,313
typical bill a year
0.70%
effective rate
$613,500
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Ridgefield

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

See ridgefieldwa.us for Ridgefield’s current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Ridgefield yet.ridgefieldwa.us ↗
Who works for Ridgefield

One full-time city employee for every 179 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 (11,278).

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

Administration & buildings14 + 8 pt
Police15
Water & other utilities4
Other30 + 1 pt
63
full-time
9
part-time
$434,841
payroll for March 2022
$5.2M
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$79,600
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
13
sworn police officers
Compared, 2022.Ridgefield had 5.6 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 32 of the 40 Washington cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 5.8: Ridgefield had fewer than 56% 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

Ridgefield School District

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

Schools in Ridgefield →
$14,560
per pupil · WA $18,444
4,118
students
$91.2 million
long-term debt

Of the $14,560 per pupil, $8,932 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 37%State 61%Federal 2%

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

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Ridgefield’s votes are counted by county

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

President · Clark County’s results276,569 votes · results as certified
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat51.8%143,201 votes
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican44.8%123,995 votes

Others: 3.4% (9,373 votes).

Most votes in Clark County: Kamala D Harris

Washington: Harris 57.2%, Trump 39.0%

The county’s page

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

Clark 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 Ridgefield

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Ridgefield.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Officials: ridgefieldwa.us ↗
  2. 2
    Washington HouseState representatives
    Ed OrcuttPeter Abbarno
  3. 3
    Washington SenateState senator
    John Braun
  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.

Reach Ridgefield’s government

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

The Handbook →
Official websiteridgefieldwa.us ↗

Questions about Ridgefield’s government

How much does Ridgefield spend per resident?

About $1,530 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 $1,530 was more than 78% of 40 Washington cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Ridgefield?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $4,313 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.70% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.81% across Washington. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see ridgefieldwa.us.

Who runs Ridgefield’s government?

See ridgefieldwa.us for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Ridgefield yet.

How did Ridgefield vote in 2024?

Washington counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Ridgefield alone. Clark County, where 100% of Ridgefield lies, voted Harris 51.8%, Trump 44.8% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Ridgefield?

63 full-time and 9 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $434,841 (about $5.2M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Ridgefield in the state legislature?

State Senate District 20 (John Braun) and State House District 20 (Ed Orcutt and Peter Abbarno). The House district also covers 10 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

When is the next public meeting in Ridgefield?

The next posted meeting is Planning Commission on Wednesday, November 4, at 6:30 pm in RACC - Columbia Assembly Room - 510 Pioneer Street, Ridgefield, WA 98642, from the city’s own agenda portal.

Ask neighbors about Ridgefield’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 →