Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad: South Cle Elum Yard · Photo: Jayedgerton · CC BY-SA 3.0South Cle Elum spent less per resident in 2022 than 73% of similar cities
South Cle Elum’s town government spent $413,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $731 per resident. Water and other utilities ($322,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how South Cle Elum is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$731 per resident in 2022: less than 73% of them
South Cle Elum’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($731 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 $995, and the middle half spent $713–$1,357. South Cle Elum spent less than 73% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($175,000), 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; South Cle Elum itself left out).
About $731 per resident a year, or $2.00 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 42%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
South Cle Elum reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $1,857 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.50% 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 South Cle Elum’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 South Cle Elum’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in South Cle Elum →
Who’s in charge in South Cle Elum
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time town employee for every 94 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 (565).
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.
Cle Elum-Roslyn School District
South Cle Elum’s K–12 school district, shared with Cle Elum, Roslyn. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $17,840 per pupil, $10,377 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.
South Cle Elum’s votes are counted by county
Washington reports official results by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for South Cle Elum alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Kittitas County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican55.3%14,645 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat40.8%10,810 votesOthers: 3.9% (1,044 votes).
Most votes in Kittitas County: Donald J Trump
Washington: Harris 57.2%, Trump 39.0%
100% of South Cle Elum lies in Kittitas County. Every 2024 race in Kittitas County is on the county’s page.
Kittitas 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 South Cle Elum.
- 1Your townTown governmentLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 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.
How South Cle Elum compares with the towns next door
South Cle Elum spent $731 per resident in 2022; the neighbor that reported 2022 spent $2,842. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Cle Elum | $2,842 | $2,405 |
| South Cle Elum | $731 | $1,857 |
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 South Cle Elum’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about South Cle Elum’s government
How much does South Cle Elum spend per resident?
About $731 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 $731 was less than 73% of 118 Washington cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in South Cle Elum?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,857 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.50% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.81% across Washington. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the town’s assessor.
Who runs South Cle Elum’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for South Cle Elum yet.
How did South Cle Elum vote in 2024?
Washington counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for South Cle Elum alone. Kittitas County, where 100% of South Cle Elum lies, voted Trump 55.3%, Harris 40.8% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for South Cle Elum?
6 full-time and 8 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $29,291 (about $351,492 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents South Cle Elum in the state legislature?
State Senate District 13 (Judy Warnick) and State House District 13 (Alex Ybarra and Tom Dent). The House district also covers 21 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about South Cle Elum’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 →