Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to Boulder Junction

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
Town Hall · Boulder Junction

Boulder Junction spent more per resident in 2022 than 92% of similar towns

Boulder Junction’s town government spent $1.2 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $1,204 per resident.

Town website
Election Day

Tomorrow

General election in Wisconsin.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$1.2M
year to December 31, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$1,204
In 2022: $1,204, more than 92% of 1113 similar towns
Long-term debt
$9.6M
end of 2022, reported
Town staff, 2022
4
full-time · 16 part-time · March payroll $72,860 · Census estimate
Typical tax bill
$2,320
0.74% of home value · WI 1.42%

What stands out about how Boulder Junction is run

Read from the town’s budget and official records.

Compared with similar places

$1,204 per resident in 2022: more than 92% of them

Boulder Junction’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,204 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 $509, and the middle half spent $371–$727. Boulder Junction spent more than 92% of them.

Middle half of the group, $371–$727Median $509Boulder Junction

Includes sewer and trash ($136,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →

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; Boulder Junction itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $1,204 per resident a year, or $3.30 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 30%.

Where the money comes from
Property taxes 40%Interest, fines & other 38%From the state 11%Sales taxes 6%Fees & charges 3%From the federal government 1%From other local governments <1%Other taxes & licenses <1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $792,000; interest on debt $190,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $2.2 million.
Over the years

No trend yet

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

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $2,320 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.74% of the home’s value, vs 1.42% across Wisconsin.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Manitowish Waters$4,284
Wisconsin$3,792
Lac du Flambeau$3,557
Presque Isle$3,077
Boulder Junction$2,320
Land O'Lakes$2,287
Arbor Vitae$1,997
Plum Lake$1,778
$2,320
typical bill a year
0.74%
effective rate
$313,500
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Boulder Junction

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

See townofboulderjunction.org for Boulder Junction’s current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Boulder Junction yet.townofboulderjunction.org ↗
Agendas

Boulder Junction’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on townofboulderjunction.org ↗.

Who works for Boulder Junction

One full-time town employee for every 243 residents

On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (971).

By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022

Roads & transportation2 + 5 pt
Parks & libraries0 + 5 pt
Sewer & trash0 + 3 pt
Administration & buildings1
Police1
Other0 + 3 pt
4
full-time
16
part-time
$72,860
payroll for March 2022
$874,320
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$74,000
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
1
sworn police officers
Estimates.Boulder Junction didn’t report its staff figures; these are the Census Bureau’s estimates, so they aren’t compared with other towns.

The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.

The school district

Lakeland Union High School District

Boulder Junction’s high school district, shared with Arbor Vitae, Hazelhurst, Lac du Flambeau, Lake Tomahawk, Land O'Lakes and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Boulder Junction →
$23,336
per pupil · WI $16,459
726
students
$7.4 million
long-term debt

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.

The district: schools, scores and graduation →

Where the district’s money comes from
Local 60%State 25%Federal 16%

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

Also serving Boulder Junction

North Lakeland School District · $28,855 per pupil

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

Elections · 2024 general election

How Boulder Junction voted in 2024

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

President827 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican58.3%482 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat40.5%335 votes

Others: 1.2% (10 votes).

Most votes in Boulder Junction: Donald J Trump

Vilas County: Trump 61.0%, Harris 37.9% · Wisconsin: Trump 49.6%, Harris 48.7%

Turnout
62%

of Boulder Junction’s 1,331 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Wisconsin: 76%.

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

U.S. Senate821 votes
Eric HovdeRepublican57.5%
Tammy BaldwinDemocrat39.8%
Others2.7%

Most votes in Boulder Junction: Eric Hovde

Vilas County: Hovde 60.0%, Baldwin 38.2% · Wisconsin: Baldwin 49.3%, Hovde 48.5%

U.S. House · Wisconsin’s 7th District430,384 votes
Tom TiffanyRepublican63.6%
Kyle KilbournDemocrat36.4%
Others0.1%

Most votes in the district: Tom Tiffany

Whole-district result

President, 2024: Boulder Junction, its county and the state

TrumpHarrisOthersVotes
Boulder Junction58.3%40.5%1.2%827
Vilas County61.0%37.9%1.1%16,135
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 Boulder Junction

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Boulder Junction.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your townTown government
  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 Boulder Junction compares with the towns next door

Boulder Junction spent $1,204 per resident in 2022; the 6 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $258 to $2,447. 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
Arbor Vitae$258$1,997
Lac du Flambeau$330$3,557
Land O'Lakes$1,573$2,287
Presque Isle$1,736$3,077
Plum Lake$1,749$1,778
Manitowish Waters$2,447$4,284
Boulder Junction$1,204$2,320

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 Boulder Junction’s government

The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Boulder Junction’s government

How much does Boulder Junction spend per resident?

About $1,204 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 $1,204 was more than 92% of 1113 Wisconsin towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Boulder Junction?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,320 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.74% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.42% across Wisconsin. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see townofboulderjunction.org.

Who runs Boulder Junction’s government?

See townofboulderjunction.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Boulder Junction yet.

How did Boulder Junction vote in 2024?

For president, Donald J Trump 58.3%, Kamala D Harris 40.5% (827 votes, official results). Vilas County: Trump 61.0%, Harris 37.9%. Wisconsin: Trump 49.6%, Harris 48.7%.

How many people work for Boulder Junction?

4 full-time and 16 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $72,860 (about $874,320 a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.

Who represents Boulder Junction 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 Boulder Junction’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 →