Photo: Downspec · CC BY-SA 4.0Darlington spent more per resident in 2022 than 76% of similar cities
Darlington’s city government spent $3.4 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $1,448 per resident. Water and other utilities ($558,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Darlington is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,448 per resident in 2022: more than 76% of them
Darlington’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,448 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 375 Wisconsin cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,105, and the middle half spent $864–$1,416. Darlington spent more than 76% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($861,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Wisconsin cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Darlington itself left out).
About $1,448 per resident a year, or $3.97 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 26%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Darlington reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $3,083 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.99% 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 Darlington’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 Darlington’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Darlington →
Who’s in charge in Darlington
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Darlington’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on darlingtonwi.org ↗.
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 (2,317).
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.
Darlington Community School District
Darlington’s K–12 school district, shared with Darlington, Willow Springs, Lamont, Fayette, Seymour and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $14,449 per pupil, $9,247 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 Darlington voted in 2024
Official results for Darlington’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat51.6%537 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican46.8%487 votesOthers: 1.6% (17 votes).
Most votes in Darlington: Kamala D Harris
Lafayette County: Trump 59.5%, Harris 39.3% · Wisconsin: Trump 49.6%, Harris 48.7%
of Darlington’s 1,438 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Wisconsin: 76%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Darlington: Tammy Baldwin
Lafayette County: Hovde 55.2%, Baldwin 42.9% · Wisconsin: Baldwin 49.3%, Hovde 48.5%
Most votes in the district: Mark Pocan
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Darlington, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Darlington | 51.6% | 46.8% | 1.6% | 1,041 |
| Lafayette County | 39.3% | 59.5% | 1.2% | 8,832 |
| 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 Darlington.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: darlingtonwi.org ↗
- 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.
Reach Darlington’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Darlington’s government
How much does Darlington spend per resident?
About $1,448 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 $1,448 was more than 76% of 375 Wisconsin cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Darlington?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,083 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.99% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.42% across Wisconsin. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see darlingtonwi.org.
Who runs Darlington’s government?
See darlingtonwi.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Darlington yet.
How did Darlington vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 51.6%, Donald J Trump 46.8% (1,041 votes, official results). Lafayette County: Trump 59.5%, Harris 39.3%. Wisconsin: Trump 49.6%, Harris 48.7%.
How many people work for Darlington?
19 full-time and 16 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $98,110 (about $1.2M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Darlington in the state legislature?
State Senate District 17 (Howard Marklein) and Assembly District 51 (Todd Novak). The Assembly district also covers 66 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Darlington’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 →