Photo: I, the copyright holder of this work, hereby publish it under the following license: · CC BY-SA 3.0Burlington spent more per resident in 2022 than 85% of similar cities
Burlington’s city government spent $16.9 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, about $1,538 per resident. Water and other utilities ($2.7 million) and the airport ($1 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Burlington is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,506 per resident in 2022: more than 85% of them
Burlington’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,506 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 59 Wisconsin cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,152, and the middle half spent $949–$1,366. Burlington spent more than 85% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($3.8 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 →
Wisconsin cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Burlington itself left out).
About $1,538 per resident a year, or $4.21 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 24%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 3% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Burlington 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: $1,506 · 2024: $1,538.
full-time in March 2025, up from 68 in 2022.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $4,250 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.54% 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 Burlington’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 Burlington’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Burlington →
Who’s in charge in Burlington
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Burlington’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on burlington-wi.gov ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 159 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (11,005).
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.
Waterford Union High School District
Burlington’s high school district, shared with Burlington, Norway, Rochester, Vernon, Waterford and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $23,692 per pupil, $11,664 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.
Burlington Area School District · $14,544 per pupil
Waterford Joint No. 1 School District · $19,555 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
How Burlington voted in 2024
Official results for Burlington’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Donald J TrumpRepublican55.2%3,316 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat43.3%2,599 votesOthers: 1.6% (94 votes).
Most votes in Burlington: Donald J Trump
Racine County: Trump 52.3%, Harris 46.2% · Wisconsin: Trump 49.6%, Harris 48.7%
of Burlington’s 8,549 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Wisconsin: 76%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Burlington: Eric Hovde
Racine County: Hovde 51.4%, Baldwin 46.3% · Wisconsin: Baldwin 49.3%, Hovde 48.5%
Most votes in the district: Bryan Steil
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Burlington, its county and the state
| Trump | Harris | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burlington | 55.2% | 43.3% | 1.6% | 6,009 |
| Racine County | 52.3% | 46.2% | 1.5% | 107,686 |
| 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 Burlington.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: burlington-wi.gov ↗
- 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 Burlington compares with the towns next door
Burlington spent $1,506 per resident in 2022. Most of its neighbors are townships, a different kind of government, so the like-for-like comparison is with similar cities, above. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Spring Prairie | $302 | $4,789 |
| Lyons | $412 | $3,261 |
| Burlington | $1,506 | $4,250 |
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 Burlington’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Burlington’s government
How much does Burlington spend per resident?
About $1,538 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 $1,506 was more than 85% of 59 Wisconsin cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Burlington?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $4,250 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.54% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.42% across Wisconsin. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see burlington-wi.gov.
Who runs Burlington’s government?
See burlington-wi.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Burlington yet.
How did Burlington vote in 2024?
For president, Donald J Trump 55.2%, Kamala D Harris 43.3% (6,009 votes, official results). Racine County: Trump 52.3%, Harris 46.2%. Wisconsin: Trump 49.6%, Harris 48.7%.
How many people work for Burlington?
69 full-time and 40 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $486,666 (about $5.8M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Burlington in the state legislature?
State Senate District 11 (Steve Nass) and Assembly District 33 (Robin Vos). The Assembly district also covers 13 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Burlington’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 →