Arbor Vitae spent less per resident in 2022 than 80% of similar towns
Arbor Vitae’s town government spent $891,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $258 per resident. The airport ($15,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Arbor Vitae is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$258 per resident in 2022: less than 80% of them
Arbor Vitae’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($258 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 127 Wisconsin towns and townships of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $358, and the middle half spent $277–$438. Arbor Vitae spent less than 80% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($17,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Wisconsin towns and townships of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Arbor Vitae itself left out).
About $258 per resident a year, or $0.71 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 40%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Arbor Vitae reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $1,997 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.71% of the home’s value, vs 1.42% across Wisconsin.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Arbor Vitae’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 Arbor Vitae’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Arbor Vitae →
Who’s in charge in Arbor Vitae
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Arbor Vitae’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on townofarborvitae.org ↗.
One full-time town employee for every 1,151 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 (3,453).
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.
Lakeland Union High School District
Arbor Vitae’s high school district, shared with Boulder Junction, Hazelhurst, Lac du Flambeau, Lake Tomahawk, Land O'Lakes and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $23,336 per pupil, $12,581 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.
Wisconsin districts overall: 39% local, 50% state, 11% federal.
Woodruff Joint No. 1 School District · $16,367 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
How Arbor Vitae voted in 2024
Official results for Arbor Vitae’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Donald J TrumpRepublican60.8%1,431 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat37.9%892 votesOthers: 1.3% (30 votes).
Most votes in Arbor Vitae: Donald J Trump
Vilas County: Trump 61.0%, Harris 37.9% · Wisconsin: Trump 49.6%, Harris 48.7%
of Arbor Vitae’s 2,562 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Wisconsin: 76%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Arbor Vitae: Eric Hovde
Vilas County: Hovde 60.0%, Baldwin 38.2% · Wisconsin: Baldwin 49.3%, Hovde 48.5%
Most votes in the district: Tom Tiffany
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Arbor Vitae, its county and the state
| Trump | Harris | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arbor Vitae | 60.8% | 37.9% | 1.3% | 2,353 |
| Vilas County | 61.0% | 37.9% | 1.1% | 16,135 |
| Wisconsin | 49.6% | 48.7% | 1.7% | 3,422,918 |
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 Arbor Vitae.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: townofarborvitae.org ↗
- 2Wisconsin AssemblyState representatives
- 3Wisconsin SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Wisconsin
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Arbor Vitae compares with the towns next door
Arbor Vitae spent $258 per resident in 2022; the 4 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $330 to $1,204. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Lac du Flambeau | $330 | $3,557 |
| Woodruff | $1,048 | $2,549 |
| St. Germain | $1,091 | $1,869 |
| Boulder Junction | $1,204 | $2,320 |
| Arbor Vitae | $258 | $1,997 |
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 Arbor Vitae’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Arbor Vitae’s government
How much does Arbor Vitae spend per resident?
About $258 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 $258 was less than 80% of 127 Wisconsin towns and townships of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Arbor Vitae?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,997 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.71% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.42% across Wisconsin. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see townofarborvitae.org.
Who runs Arbor Vitae’s government?
See townofarborvitae.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Arbor Vitae yet.
How did Arbor Vitae vote in 2024?
For president, Donald J Trump 60.8%, Kamala D Harris 37.9% (2,353 votes, official results). Vilas County: Trump 61.0%, Harris 37.9%. Wisconsin: Trump 49.6%, Harris 48.7%.
How many people work for Arbor Vitae?
3 full-time and 17 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $26,940 (about $323,280 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Arbor Vitae in the state legislature?
State Senate District 12 (Mary Felzkowski) and Assembly District 34 (Rob Swearingen). The Assembly district also covers 34 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Arbor Vitae’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 →