Photo: Michael Barera · CC BY-SA 4.0Janesville spent more per resident in 2022 than 77% of similar cities
Janesville’s city government spent $112.6 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, about $1,709 per resident. Water and other utilities ($13.2 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Janesville is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
Who’s in charge in Janesville
From public records with a current term; a name is hidden the day its term ends.
Council members and agencies: ci.janesville.wi.us ↗
Janesville’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on ci.janesville.wi.us ↗.
About $1,709 per resident a year, or $4.68 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 17%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,460 per resident in 2022: more than 77% of them
Janesville’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,460 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 31 Wisconsin cities of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,282, and the middle half spent $1,153–$1,440. Janesville spent more than 77% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($18 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 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Janesville itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is up 19% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Janesville 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: $1,460 · 2023: $1,536 · 2024: $1,709.
full-time in March 2025, up from 482 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 $3,736 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.67% 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 Janesville’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 Janesville’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Janesville →
One full-time city employee for every 134 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 (65,911).
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.
Janesville School District
Janesville’s K–12 school district, shared with Rock, Janesville, La Prairie. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $14,464 per pupil, $8,581 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.
Milton School District · $13,564 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
How Janesville voted in 2024
Official results for Janesville’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat56.3%19,865 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican41.7%14,723 votesOthers: 2.0% (692 votes).
Most votes in Janesville: Kamala D Harris
Rock County: Harris 52.8%, Trump 45.5% · Wisconsin: Trump 49.6%, Harris 48.7%
of Janesville’s 50,631 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Wisconsin: 76%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Janesville: Tammy Baldwin
Rock County: Baldwin 53.8%, Hovde 43.6% · Wisconsin: Baldwin 49.3%, Hovde 48.5%
Most votes in the district: Bryan Steil
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Janesville, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Janesville | 56.3% | 41.7% | 2.0% | 35,280 |
| Rock County | 52.8% | 45.5% | 1.6% | 88,310 |
| 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 Janesville.
- 1Your cityMayorJanesville City Councilas listed by Open States, October 9, 2026
- 2Wisconsin AssemblyJanesville 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 Janesville compares with the towns next door
Janesville spent $1,460 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Rock | $358 | $3,636 |
| Harmony | $382 | $4,621 |
| La Prairie | $462 | $4,458 |
| Janesville | $1,460 | $3,736 |
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 Janesville’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Janesville’s government
How much does Janesville spend per resident?
About $1,709 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 $1,460 was more than 77% of 31 Wisconsin cities of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Janesville?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,736 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.67% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.42% across Wisconsin. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see ci.janesville.wi.us.
Who is the mayor of Janesville?
Janesville City Council, as listed by Open States (checked October 9, 2026). The council and agencies are listed on ci.janesville.wi.us.
How did Janesville vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 56.3%, Donald J Trump 41.7% (35,280 votes, official results). Rock County: Harris 52.8%, Trump 45.5%. Wisconsin: Trump 49.6%, Harris 48.7%.
How many people work for Janesville?
493 full-time and 128 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $3.7M (about $44.0M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Janesville in the state legislature?
Janesville is split among 2 Assembly districts, so your address decides. The Wisconsin Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Its State Senate district is District 15 (Mark Spreitzer). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Janesville’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 →