Cedar Lake spent more per resident in 2022 than 86% of similar towns
Cedar Lake’s town government spent $918,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $972 per resident.
What stands out about how Cedar Lake is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$972 per resident in 2022: more than 86% of them
Cedar Lake’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($972 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. Cedar Lake spent more than 86% of 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; Cedar Lake itself left out).
About $972 per resident a year, or $2.66 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 73%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Cedar Lake reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $2,537 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.95% 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 Cedar Lake’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 Cedar Lake’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Cedar Lake →
Who’s in charge in Cedar Lake
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time town employee for every 315 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 (944).
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.
Rice Lake Area School District
Cedar Lake’s K–12 school district, shared with Haugen, Oak Grove, Rice Lake, Doyle, Rice Lake and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $15,567 per pupil, $9,275 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.
Birchwood School District · $22,819 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
How Cedar Lake voted in 2024
Official results for Cedar Lake’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Donald J TrumpRepublican67.9%570 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat29.7%249 votesOthers: 2.4% (20 votes).
Most votes in Cedar Lake: Donald J Trump
Barron County: Trump 62.4%, Harris 33.4% · Wisconsin: Trump 49.6%, Harris 48.7%
Most votes in Cedar Lake: Eric Hovde
Barron County: Hovde 62.0%, Baldwin 35.2% · Wisconsin: Baldwin 49.3%, Hovde 48.5%
Most votes in the district: Tom Tiffany
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Cedar Lake, its county and the state
| Trump | Harris | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cedar Lake | 67.9% | 29.7% | 2.4% | 839 |
| Barron County | 62.4% | 33.4% | 4.3% | 26,809 |
| 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 Cedar Lake.
- 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 Cedar Lake compares with the towns next door
Cedar Lake spent $972 per resident in 2022; the 4 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $416 to $1,323. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
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 Cedar Lake’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Cedar Lake’s government
How much does Cedar Lake spend per resident?
About $972 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 $972 was more than 86% of 1113 Wisconsin towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Cedar Lake?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,537 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.95% 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 Cedar Lake’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Cedar Lake yet.
How did Cedar Lake vote in 2024?
For president, Donald J Trump 67.9%, Kamala D Harris 29.7% (839 votes, official results). Barron County: Trump 62.4%, Harris 33.4%. Wisconsin: Trump 49.6%, Harris 48.7%.
How many people work for Cedar Lake?
3 full-time and 4 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $26,899 (about $322,788 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Cedar Lake in the state legislature?
State Senate District 23 (Jesse James) and Assembly District 67 (Dave Armstrong). The Assembly district also covers 51 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Cedar Lake’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 →