Photo: Corey Coyle · CC BY 3.0Cottage Grove spent more per resident in 2022 than 66% of similar cities
Cottage Grove’s village government spent $9.7 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $1,349 per resident. Water and other utilities ($1.3 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Cottage Grove is run
Read from the village’s budget and official records.
$1,349 per resident in 2022: more than 66% of them
Cottage Grove’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,349 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. Cottage Grove spent more than 66% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($2.1 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; Cottage Grove itself left out).
About $1,349 per resident a year, or $3.70 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 22%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Cottage Grove reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $7,458 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.66% 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 Cottage Grove’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 Cottage Grove’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Cottage Grove →
Who’s in charge in Cottage Grove
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Cottage Grove’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The village posts agendas and minutes on village.cottage-grove.wi.us ↗.
One full-time village employee for every 217 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 (7,158).
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.
Monona Grove School District
Cottage Grove’s K–12 school district, shared with Monona, Cottage Grove, Blooming Grove. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $17,565 per pupil, $9,548 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.
Sun Prairie Area School District · $15,847 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
How Cottage Grove voted in 2024
Official results for Cottage Grove’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat65.4%3,443 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican32.6%1,714 votesOthers: 2.0% (107 votes).
Most votes in Cottage Grove: Kamala D Harris
Dane County: Harris 74.9%, Trump 23.4% · Wisconsin: Trump 49.6%, Harris 48.7%
of Cottage Grove’s 6,486 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Wisconsin: 76%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Cottage Grove: Tammy Baldwin
Dane County: Baldwin 75.3%, Hovde 23.3% · Wisconsin: Baldwin 49.3%, Hovde 48.5%
Most votes in the district: Mark Pocan
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Cottage Grove, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cottage Grove | 65.4% | 32.6% | 2.0% | 5,264 |
| Dane County | 74.9% | 23.4% | 1.8% | 365,929 |
| 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 Cottage Grove.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: village.cottage-grove.wi.us ↗
- 2Wisconsin AssemblyCottage Grove is split between 2 districts
- 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 Cottage Grove compares with the towns next door
Cottage Grove spent $1,349 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Sun Prairie | $505 | $5,088 |
| Cottage Grove | $1,349 | $7,458 |
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 Cottage Grove’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Cottage Grove’s government
How much does Cottage Grove spend per resident?
About $1,349 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 $1,349 was more than 66% of 134 Wisconsin cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Cottage Grove?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $7,458 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.66% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.42% across Wisconsin. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see village.cottage-grove.wi.us.
Who runs Cottage Grove’s government?
See village.cottage-grove.wi.us for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Cottage Grove yet.
How did Cottage Grove vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 65.4%, Donald J Trump 32.6% (5,264 votes, official results). Dane County: Harris 74.9%, Trump 23.4%. Wisconsin: Trump 49.6%, Harris 48.7%.
How many people work for Cottage Grove?
33 full-time and 32 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $190,843 (about $2.3M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Cottage Grove in the state legislature?
Cottage Grove is split among 2 Assembly districts, so your address decides. The Wisconsin Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Its State Senate district is District 16 (Melissa Ratcliff). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Cottage Grove’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 →