Photo: Orange Suede Sofa · CC BY-SA 3.0Wapato spent less per resident in 2022 than 69% of similar cities
Wapato’s city government spent $4.7 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $950 per resident. Water and other utilities ($1.1 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Wapato is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$950 per resident in 2022: less than 69% of them
Wapato’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($950 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. Wapato spent less than 69% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($2.1 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; Wapato itself left out).
About $950 per resident a year, or $2.60 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 44%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Wapato reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
full-time in March 2025, down from 32 in 2022. Both are Census estimates.
The typical homeowner pays $1,449 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.78% 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 Wapato’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 Wapato’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Wapato →
Who’s in charge in Wapato
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Wapato’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on wapato-city.org ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 172 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (4,980).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Wapato School District
Wapato’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $19,856 per pupil, $10,865 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.
Wapato’s votes are counted by county
Washington reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Wapato alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Yakima County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican55.7%49,104 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat41.3%36,383 votesOthers: 3.0% (2,658 votes).
Most votes in Yakima County: Donald J Trump
Washington: Harris 57.2%, Trump 39.0%
100% of Wapato lies in Yakima County. Every 2024 race in Yakima County is on the county’s page.
Yakima 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 Wapato.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: wapato-city.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 Wapato’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Wapato’s government
How much does Wapato spend per resident?
About $950 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 $950 was less than 69% of 65 Washington cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Wapato?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,449 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.78% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.81% across Washington. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see wapato-city.org.
Who runs Wapato’s government?
See wapato-city.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Wapato yet.
How did Wapato vote in 2024?
Washington counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Wapato alone. Yakima County, where 100% of Wapato lies, voted Trump 55.7%, Harris 41.3% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Wapato?
29 full-time and 27 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $199,037 (about $2.4M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Wapato in the state legislature?
State Senate District 14 (Curtis King) and State House District 14 (Deb Manjarrez and Gloria Mendoza). The House district also covers 10 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Wapato’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 →