Photo: Ian Poellet · CC BY-SA 3.0Shelton spent more per resident in 2022 than 65% of similar cities
Shelton’s city government spent $16.3 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2023, about $1,510 per resident. Water and other utilities ($2.2 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Shelton is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,326 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
Shelton’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,326 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–$1,528. Shelton spent more than 65% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($4.4 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 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Shelton itself left out).
About $1,510 per resident a year, or $4.14 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 31%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 12% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Shelton 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: $1,326 · 2023: $1,510.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $3,085 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.89% 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 Shelton’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 Shelton’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Shelton →
Who’s in charge in Shelton
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Shelton’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on sheltonwa.gov ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 113 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2023 finance file (10,763).
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.
Shelton School District
Shelton’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $18,545 per pupil, $10,506 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.
Shelton’s votes are counted by county
Washington reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Shelton alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Mason County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican49.4%17,943 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat46.9%17,058 votesOthers: 3.7% (1,333 votes).
Most votes in Mason County: Donald J Trump
Washington: Harris 57.2%, Trump 39.0%
100% of Shelton lies in Mason County. Every 2024 race in Mason County is on the county’s page.
Mason 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 Shelton.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: sheltonwa.gov ↗
- 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 Shelton’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Shelton’s government
How much does Shelton spend per resident?
About $1,510 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2023, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,326 was more than 65% of 40 Washington cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Shelton?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,085 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.89% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.81% across Washington. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see sheltonwa.gov.
Who runs Shelton’s government?
See sheltonwa.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Shelton yet.
How did Shelton vote in 2024?
Washington counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Shelton alone. Mason County, where 100% of Shelton lies, voted Trump 49.4%, Harris 46.9% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Shelton?
95 full-time and 3 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $561,275 (about $6.7M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Shelton in the state legislature?
State Senate District 35 (Drew MacEwen) and State House District 35 (Dan Griffey and Travis Couture). The House district also covers parts of 1 neighboring town. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Shelton’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 →