Photo: Turtleey · CC BY-SA 4.0Ruston spent more per resident in 2022 than 96% of similar cities
Ruston’s town government spent $2.8 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $3,276 per resident. Water and other utilities ($889,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Ruston is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$3,276 per resident in 2022: more than 96% of them
Ruston’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($3,276 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 118 Washington cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $992, and the middle half spent $713–$1,338. Ruston spent more than 96% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($640,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Washington cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Ruston itself left out).
About $3,276 per resident a year, or $8.98 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 28%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Ruston reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $7,926 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.87% 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 Ruston’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. In a town this small the estimate has a wide margin.
Tax bills are one input to Ruston’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Ruston →
Who’s in charge in Ruston
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Ruston’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on rustonwa.org ↗.
One full-time town employee for every 106 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 (848).
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.
Tacoma Public Schools
Ruston’s K–12 school district, shared with Tacoma, Fircrest. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $19,619 per pupil, $10,822 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.
Ruston’s votes are counted by county
Washington reports official results by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Ruston alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Pierce County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat53.5%235,151 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican42.8%188,148 votesOthers: 3.7% (16,216 votes).
Most votes in Pierce County: Kamala D Harris
Washington: Harris 57.2%, Trump 39.0%
100% of Ruston lies in Pierce County. Every 2024 race in Pierce County is on the county’s page.
Pierce 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 Ruston.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: rustonwa.org ↗
- 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 Ruston’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Ruston’s government
How much does Ruston spend per resident?
About $3,276 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 $3,276 was more than 96% of 118 Washington cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Ruston?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $7,926 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.87% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.81% across Washington. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see rustonwa.org.
Who runs Ruston’s government?
See rustonwa.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Ruston yet.
How did Ruston vote in 2024?
Washington counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Ruston alone. Pierce County, where 100% of Ruston lies, voted Harris 53.5%, Trump 42.8% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Ruston?
8 full-time and 28 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $81,452 (about $977,424 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Ruston in the state legislature?
State Senate District 27 (Yasmin Trudeau) and State House District 27 (Jake Fey and Laurie Jinkins). The House district also covers two neighboring towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Ruston’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 →