Photo: w_lemay · CC BY-SA 2.0Columbus spent more per resident in 2022 than 73% of similar cities
Columbus’ city government spent $7.2 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $1,405 per resident. Water and other utilities ($8.5 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Columbus is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,405 per resident in 2022: more than 73% of them
Columbus’ day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,405 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 134 Wisconsin cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,174, and the middle half spent $990–$1,415. Columbus spent more than 73% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($1.7 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 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Columbus itself left out).
About $1,405 per resident a year, or $3.85 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 23%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Columbus reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $3,774 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.64% 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 Columbus’ 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 Columbus’ Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Columbus →
Who’s in charge in Columbus
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Columbus’ meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on cityofcolumbuswi.com ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 122 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 (5,117).
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.
Columbus School District
Columbus’ K–12 school district, shared with Elba, Columbus, Hampden, York, Calamus. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $15,320 per pupil, $8,644 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.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
How Columbus voted in 2024
Official results for Columbus’ own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat53.4%1,700 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican45.2%1,440 votesOthers: 1.4% (45 votes).
Most votes in Columbus: Kamala D Harris
Columbia County: Trump 51.5%, Harris 46.9% · Wisconsin: Trump 49.6%, Harris 48.7%
of Columbus’ 4,323 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Wisconsin: 76%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Columbus: Tammy Baldwin
Columbia County: Hovde 49.4%, Baldwin 48.4% · Wisconsin: Baldwin 49.3%, Hovde 48.5%
Most votes in the district: Glenn Grothman
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Columbus, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbus | 53.4% | 45.2% | 1.4% | 3,185 |
| Columbia County | 46.9% | 51.5% | 1.5% | 34,914 |
| Wisconsin | 48.7% | 49.6% | 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 Columbus.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: cityofcolumbuswi.com ↗
- 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 Columbus compares with the towns next door
Columbus spent $1,405 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Elba | $326 | $4,044 |
| Columbus | $1,405 | $3,774 |
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 Columbus’ government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Columbus’ government
How much does Columbus spend per resident?
About $1,405 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 $1,405 was more than 73% of 134 Wisconsin cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Columbus?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,774 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.64% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.42% across Wisconsin. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cityofcolumbuswi.com.
Who runs Columbus’ government?
See cityofcolumbuswi.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Columbus yet.
How did Columbus vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 53.4%, Donald J Trump 45.2% (3,185 votes, official results). Columbia County: Trump 51.5%, Harris 46.9%. Wisconsin: Trump 49.6%, Harris 48.7%.
How many people work for Columbus?
42 full-time and 39 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $257,283 (about $3.1M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Columbus in the state legislature?
State Senate District 14 (Sarah Keyeski) and Assembly District 42 (Maureen McCarville). The Assembly district also covers 22 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Columbus’ 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 →