Bern spent less per resident in 2022 than 81% of similar towns
Bern’s town government spent $279,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, about $453 per resident.
What stands out about how Bern is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$344 per resident in 2022: less than 81% of them
Bern’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($344 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. Bern spent less than 81% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($20,000), 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 under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Bern itself left out).
About $453 per resident a year, or $1.24 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 49%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 36% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Bern 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: $344 · 2024: $453.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $2,167 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.91% 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 Bern’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 Bern’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Bern →
Who’s in charge in Bern
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Athens School District
Bern’s K–12 school district, shared with Athens, Halsey, Hamburg, Johnson, Rietbrock. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $13,678 per pupil, $7,403 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.
Medford Area School District · $13,554 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
How Bern voted in 2024
Official results for Bern’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Donald J TrumpRepublican69.3%174 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat27.5%69 votesOthers: 3.2% (8 votes).
Most votes in Bern: Donald J Trump
Marathon County: Trump 58.6%, Harris 40.0% · Wisconsin: Trump 49.6%, Harris 48.7%
of Bern’s 347 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Wisconsin: 76%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Bern: Eric Hovde
Marathon County: Hovde 57.2%, Baldwin 40.7% · Wisconsin: Baldwin 49.3%, Hovde 48.5%
Most votes in the district: Tom Tiffany
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Bern, its county and the state
| Trump | Harris | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bern | 69.3% | 27.5% | 3.2% | 251 |
| Marathon County | 58.6% | 40.0% | 1.4% | 78,826 |
| 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 Bern.
- 1Your townTown governmentLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 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 Bern compares with the towns next door
Bern spent $344 per resident in 2022; the 4 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $360 to $960. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Halsey | $360 | $2,593 |
| Johnson | $396 | $2,172 |
| Deer Creek | $549 | $2,411 |
| Athens | $960 | $2,618 |
| Bern | $344 | $2,167 |
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 Bern’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Bern’s government
How much does Bern spend per resident?
About $453 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $344 was less than 81% of 1113 Wisconsin towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Bern?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,167 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.91% 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 Bern’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Bern yet.
How did Bern vote in 2024?
For president, Donald J Trump 69.3%, Kamala D Harris 27.5% (251 votes, official results). Marathon County: Trump 58.6%, Harris 40.0%. Wisconsin: Trump 49.6%, Harris 48.7%.
How many people work for Bern?
0 full-time and 2 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $1,912 (about $22,944 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Bern in the state legislature?
State Senate District 23 (Jesse James) and Assembly District 69 (Karen Hurd). The Assembly district also covers 64 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Bern’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 →