Photo: SounderBruce from Seattle, United States · CC BY-SA 2.0Stanwood spent less per resident in 2022 than 71% of similar cities
Stanwood’s city government spent $7.9 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2023, about $936 per resident. Water and other utilities ($1.5 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Stanwood is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$940 per resident in 2022: less than 71% of them
Stanwood’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($940 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 65 Washington cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,191, and the middle half spent $890–$1,504. Stanwood spent less than 71% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($1.9 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 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Stanwood itself left out).
About $936 per resident a year, or $2.56 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 28%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 11% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Stanwood 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: $940 · 2023: $936. Per resident it went from $940 to $936 (down 0%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 7,571 to 8,438.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $3,830 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.65% 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 Stanwood’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 Stanwood’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Stanwood →
Who’s in charge in Stanwood
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Stanwood’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on ci.stanwood.wa.us ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 241 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 (8,438).
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.
Stanwood-Camano School District
Stanwood’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $18,103 per pupil, $10,545 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.
Stanwood’s votes are counted by county
Washington reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Stanwood alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Snohomish County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat57.4%239,843 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican38.6%161,142 votesOthers: 4.0% (16,728 votes).
Most votes in Snohomish County: Kamala D Harris
Washington: Harris 57.2%, Trump 39.0%
100% of Stanwood lies in Snohomish County. Every 2024 race in Snohomish County is on the county’s page.
Snohomish 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 Stanwood.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: ci.stanwood.wa.us ↗
- 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 Stanwood compares with the towns next door
Stanwood spent $940 per resident in 2022. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Stanwood | $940 | $3,830 |
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 Stanwood’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Stanwood’s government
How much does Stanwood spend per resident?
About $936 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 $940 was less than 71% of 65 Washington cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Stanwood?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,830 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.65% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.81% across Washington. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see ci.stanwood.wa.us.
Who runs Stanwood’s government?
See ci.stanwood.wa.us for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Stanwood yet.
How did Stanwood vote in 2024?
Washington counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Stanwood alone. Snohomish County, where 100% of Stanwood lies, voted Harris 57.4%, Trump 38.6% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Stanwood?
35 full-time and 9 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $267,395 (about $3.2M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Stanwood in the state legislature?
State Senate District 10 (Ron Muzzall) and State House District 10 (Clyde Shavers and Dave Paul). The House district also covers six other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Stanwood’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 →