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2022-05-27, Big Rock Park North, Sammamish, Washington, 03Photo: Steven Pavlov · CC BY-SA 4.0
Town Hall · Sammamish

Sammamish spent less per resident in 2022 than 87% of similar cities

Sammamish’s city government spent $57.1 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, about $867 per resident.

Town website
Day-to-day spending, 2024
$57.1M
year to December 31, 2024
Per resident, 2024
$867
In 2022: $741, less than 87% of 15 similar cities
Long-term debt
$3.3M
end of 2024, reported
City staff, 2022
115
full-time · 16 part-time · March payroll $929,527
Typical tax bill
$10,000+
a year

What stands out about how Sammamish is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

Compared with similar places

$741 per resident in 2022: less than 87% of them

Sammamish’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($741 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 15 Washington cities of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,147, and the middle half spent $896–$1,638. Sammamish spent less than 87% of them.

Middle half of the group, $896–$1,638Median $1,147Sammamish

Includes sewer and trash ($4.8 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
15

Washington cities of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Sammamish itself left out).

Your share of the 2024 budget

About $867 per resident a year, or $2.38 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 19%.

Where the money comes from
Property taxes 41%Fees & charges 16%Sales taxes 13%From the state 11%Other taxes & licenses 10%Interest, fines & other 9%From other local governments 1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $6.2 million; interest on debt $138,000. With these, the whole budget was $63.4 million.
Over the years

Day-to-day spending is up 17% since 2022

Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Sammamish reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.

Day-to-day spending by fiscal year

2022$48.9 million
2023$51.7 million
2024$57.1 million

Per resident: 2022: $741 · 2023: $776 · 2024: $867.

Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.

Property tax

Typical bills top $10,000 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Sammamish$10,000+
Bellevue$9,423
Redmond$8,711
Issaquah$7,312
Washington$4,556
$10,000+
typical bill a year
$1,407,300
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Sammamish

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

See ci.sammamish.wa.us for Sammamish’s current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Sammamish yet.ci.sammamish.wa.us ↗
Agendas

Sammamish’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on ci.sammamish.wa.us ↗.

Who works for Sammamish

One full-time city employee for every 573 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 (65,845).

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

Administration & buildings36 + 9 pt
Parks & libraries23 + 1 pt
Roads & transportation22 + 2 pt
Sewer & trash13
Courts, inspections & corrections1
Health & welfare0 + 1 pt
Police0 + 1 pt
Other20 + 2 pt
115
full-time
16
part-time
$929,527
payroll for March 2022
$11.2M
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$93,500
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
Compared, 2022.Sammamish had 1.7 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 11 of the 15 Washington cities of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 6.7: Sammamish had fewer than 100% 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

Issaquah School District

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

Schools in Sammamish →
$18,047
per pupil · WA $18,444
19,452
students
$636.9 million
long-term debt

Of the $18,047 per pupil, $10,843 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 41%State 57%Federal 2%

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

Also serving Sammamish

Lake Washington School District · $17,481 per pupil

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Sammamish’s votes are counted by county

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

President · King County’s results1,130,502 votes · results as certified
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat73.6%832,606 votes
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican22.3%252,193 votes

Others: 4.0% (45,703 votes).

Most votes in King County: Kamala D Harris

Washington: Harris 57.2%, Trump 39.0%

The county’s page

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

King 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 Sammamish

From town hall to Washington

Sammamish sends 6 representatives to the Washington House alone.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
  2. 2
    Washington HouseSammamish is split between 3 districts
  3. 3
    Washington SenateState senator
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Washington

Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.

Next door

How Sammamish compares with the towns next door

Sammamish spent $741 per resident in 2022; the 3 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $1,655 to $2,081. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.

Spends the leastSpends the mostEstimate or no figures
TownDay-to-day, per resident (2022)Tax bill
Issaquah$1,655$7,312
Redmond$1,998$8,711
Bellevue$2,081$9,423
Sammamish$741$10,000+

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 Sammamish’s government

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

The Handbook →

Questions about Sammamish’s government

How much does Sammamish spend per resident?

About $867 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 $741 was less than 87% of 15 Washington cities of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools.

Who runs Sammamish’s government?

See ci.sammamish.wa.us for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Sammamish yet.

How did Sammamish vote in 2024?

Washington counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Sammamish alone. King County, where 100% of Sammamish lies, voted Harris 73.6%, Trump 22.3% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Sammamish?

115 full-time and 16 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $929,527 (about $11.2M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Sammamish in the state legislature?

Sammamish is split among 3 State House districts and 3 State Senate districts, so your address decides. The Washington Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Sammamish’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 →