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Aurora, WisconsinPhoto: BaronLarf · CC BY 3.0
Town Hall · Aurora

Aurora spent less per resident in 2022 than 100% of similar towns

Aurora’s town government spent $144,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $145 per resident.

Day-to-day spending, 2022
$144,000
year to December 31, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$145
In 2022: $145, less than 100% of 1113 similar towns
Long-term debt
Not reported
end of 2022, reported
Town staff, 2022
0
full-time · 6 part-time · March payroll $3,584 · Census estimate
Typical tax bill
$3,093
1.22% of home value · WI 1.42%

What stands out about how Aurora is run

Read from the town’s budget and official records.

Compared with similar places

$145 per resident in 2022: less than 100% of them

Aurora’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($145 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 1113 Wisconsin towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $511, and the middle half spent $373–$727. Aurora spent less than 100% of them.

Middle half of the group, $373–$727Median $511Aurora

Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →

The group
1113

Wisconsin towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Aurora itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $145 per resident a year, or $0.40 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 99%.

Where the money comes from
Property taxes 58%From the state 41%Other taxes & licenses <1%Interest, fines & other <1%

Revenue is well above spending. That usually means Aurora collects property taxes for the school district and county and passes them on, so only its own spending is counted.

Not in the receipt.With the enterprises, the whole budget was $145,000.
Over the years

No trend yet

Aurora reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $3,093 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.22% of the home’s value, vs 1.42% across Wisconsin.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Wisconsin$3,792
Nepeuskun$3,264
Aurora$3,093
Rushford$2,655
Berlin$2,637
Berlin$2,530
Poy Sippi$2,328
Warren$2,119
$3,093
typical bill a year
1.22%
effective rate
$252,700
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Aurora’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 Aurora’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Aurora →

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Aurora

Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.

Check Aurora’s own website for current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Aurora yet.
The school district

Berlin Area School District

Aurora’s K–12 school district, shared with Berlin, Poy Sippi, Seneca, Berlin, Warren and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Aurora →
$15,674
per pupil · WI $16,459
1,297
students
$5.9 million
long-term debt

Of the $15,674 per pupil, $8,552 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.

The district: schools, scores and graduation →

Where the district’s money comes from
Local 28%State 60%Federal 12%

Wisconsin districts overall: 39% local, 50% state, 11% federal.

School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.

Elections · 2024 general election

How Aurora voted in 2024

Official results for Aurora’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.

President649 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican71.2%462 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat27.9%181 votes

Others: 0.9% (6 votes).

Most votes in Aurora: Donald J Trump

Waushara County: Trump 67.0%, Harris 31.8% · Wisconsin: Trump 49.6%, Harris 48.7%

Turnout
81%

of Aurora’s 803 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Wisconsin: 76%.

Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).

U.S. Senate644 votes
Eric HovdeRepublican69.4%
Tammy BaldwinDemocrat28.7%
Others1.9%

Most votes in Aurora: Eric Hovde

Waushara County: Hovde 64.9%, Baldwin 32.6% · Wisconsin: Baldwin 49.3%, Hovde 48.5%

U.S. House · Wisconsin’s 6th District411,349 votes
Glenn GrothmanRepublican61.2%
John ZarbanoDemocrat38.7%
Others0.1%

Most votes in the district: Glenn Grothman

Whole-district result

President, 2024: Aurora, its county and the state

TrumpHarrisOthersVotes
Aurora71.2%27.9%0.9%649
Waushara County67.0%31.8%1.2%14,363
Wisconsin49.6%48.7%1.7%3,422,918
DemocratRepublicanLibertarianIndependent / other

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.

Who represents Aurora

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Aurora.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your townTown government
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  2. 2
    Wisconsin AssemblyState representatives
  3. 3
    Wisconsin SenateState senator
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Wisconsin

Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.

Next door

How Aurora compares with the towns next door

Aurora spent $145 per resident in 2022; the 6 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $212 to $1,617. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.

Spends the leastSpends the mostEstimate or no figures
TownDay-to-day, per resident (2022)Tax bill
Poy Sippi$212$2,328
Berlin$335$2,637
Warren$339$2,119
Rushford$474$2,655
Nepeuskun$980$3,264
Berlin$1,617$2,530
Aurora$145$3,093

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 Aurora’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Aurora’s government

How much does Aurora spend per resident?

About $145 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 $145 was less than 100% of 1113 Wisconsin towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Aurora?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,093 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.22% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.42% across Wisconsin. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the town’s assessor.

Who runs Aurora’s government?

We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Aurora yet.

How did Aurora vote in 2024?

For president, Donald J Trump 71.2%, Kamala D Harris 27.9% (649 votes, official results). Waushara County: Trump 67.0%, Harris 31.8%. Wisconsin: Trump 49.6%, Harris 48.7%.

How many people work for Aurora?

0 full-time and 6 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $3,584 (about $43,008 a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.

Who represents Aurora in the state legislature?

State Senate District 19 (Rachael Cabral-Guevara) and Assembly District 57 (Kevin Petersen). The Assembly district also covers 48 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Aurora’s government

Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.

Town Square →
Ask neighbors

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 →