Photo: Eli Wedel · CC BY-SA 4.0In Lake Mills, 87% of adult citizens voted for president in 2024, more than across Wisconsin
Lake Mills’ town government spent $1.7 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $777 per resident.
What stands out about how Lake Mills is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$777 per resident in 2022: more than 78% of them
Lake Mills’ day-to-day spending in 2022 ($777 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. Lake Mills spent more than 78% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($205,000), 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 towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Lake Mills itself left out).
About $777 per resident a year, or $2.13 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 48%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Lake Mills reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $5,610 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.24% 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 Lake Mills’ 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 Lake Mills’ Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Lake Mills →
Who’s in charge in Lake Mills
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Lake Mills’ meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on ci.lake-mills.wi.us ↗.
Lake Mills Area School District
Lake Mills’ K–12 school district, shared with Lake Mills, Milford, Aztalan, Waterloo. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $14,090 per pupil, $7,881 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.
Cambridge School District · $16,978 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
How Lake Mills voted in 2024
Official results for Lake Mills’ own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat51.0%804 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican47.4%748 votesOthers: 1.6% (26 votes).
Most votes in Lake Mills: Kamala D Harris
Jefferson County: Trump 57.4%, Harris 41.0% · Wisconsin: Trump 49.6%, Harris 48.7%
of Lake Mills’ 1,815 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Wisconsin: 76%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Lake Mills: Tammy Baldwin
Jefferson County: Hovde 56.4%, Baldwin 41.5% · Wisconsin: Baldwin 49.3%, Hovde 48.5%
Most votes in the district: Scott Fitzgerald
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Lake Mills, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Mills | 51.0% | 47.4% | 1.6% | 1,578 |
| Jefferson County | 41.0% | 57.4% | 1.6% | 50,146 |
| 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 Lake Mills.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: ci.lake-mills.wi.us ↗
- 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 Lake Mills compares with the towns next door
Lake Mills spent $777 per resident in 2022; the 5 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $318 to $779. 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 Lake Mills’ government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Lake Mills’ government
How much does Lake Mills spend per resident?
About $777 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 $777 was more than 78% of 1113 Wisconsin towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Lake Mills?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $5,610 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.24% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.42% across Wisconsin. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see ci.lake-mills.wi.us.
Who runs Lake Mills’ government?
See ci.lake-mills.wi.us for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Lake Mills yet.
How did Lake Mills vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 51.0%, Donald J Trump 47.4% (1,578 votes, official results). Jefferson County: Trump 57.4%, Harris 41.0%. Wisconsin: Trump 49.6%, Harris 48.7%.
How many people work for Lake Mills?
0 full-time and 22 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $22,994 (about $275,928 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Lake Mills in the state legislature?
State Senate District 16 (Melissa Ratcliff) and Assembly District 46 (Joan Fitzgerald). The Assembly district also covers 20 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Lake Mills’ 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 →