Photo: college.library · CC BY 2.0Madison spent more per resident in 2022 than 87% of similar cities
Madison’s city government spent $499.9 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, about $1,832 per resident. Water and other utilities ($106 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Madison is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
Who’s in charge in Madison
From public records with a current term; a name is hidden the day its term ends.
Council members and agencies: cityofmadison.com ↗
Madison’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on cityofmadison.com ↗.
About $1,832 per resident a year, or $5.02 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 18%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,738 per resident in 2022: more than 87% of them
Madison’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,738 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 604 Wisconsin cities that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,142, and the middle half spent $905–$1,435. Madison spent more than 87% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($55.2 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 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Madison itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is up 9% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Madison 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: $1,738 · 2023: $1,938 · 2024: $1,832.
full-time in March 2025, up from 2,604 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 $6,541 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.75% 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 Madison’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 Madison’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Madison →
One full-time city employee for every 94 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 (272,903).
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.
Madison Metropolitan School District
Madison’s K–12 school district, shared with Maple Bluff, Shorewood Hills. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $18,827 per pupil, $10,476 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
Middleton-Cross Plains School District · $15,643 per pupil
McFarland School District · $13,217 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
How Madison voted in 2024
Official results for Madison’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat83.0%143,971 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican15.1%26,242 votesOthers: 1.9% (3,293 votes).
Most votes in Madison: Kamala D Harris
Dane County: Harris 74.9%, Trump 23.4% · Wisconsin: Trump 49.6%, Harris 48.7%
of Madison’s 215,281 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Wisconsin: 76%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Madison: 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: Madison, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Madison | 83.0% | 15.1% | 1.9% | 173,506 |
| 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
Madison sends 8 members to the State Assembly alone.
- 1Your cityMayorSatya Rhodes-Conwayas listed by Open States, October 9, 2026
- 2Wisconsin AssemblyMadison is split between 8 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 Madison compares with the towns next door
No neighbor is close in size, so the comparison above uses Wisconsin cities that don’t run their own schools. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Burke | $410 | $4,624 |
| Blooming Grove | $458 | $3,894 |
| Cottage Grove | $611 | $5,843 |
| Verona | $652 | $8,572 |
| Middleton | $702 | $8,574 |
| Westport | $1,010 | $7,024 |
| Fitchburg | $1,125 | $7,187 |
| McFarland | $1,128 | $6,253 |
| Monona | $1,480 | $7,359 |
| Middleton | $1,629 | $7,397 |
| Madison | $1,738 | $6,541 |
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 Madison’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Madison’s government
How much does Madison spend per resident?
About $1,832 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 $1,738 was more than 87% of 604 Wisconsin cities that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Madison?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $6,541 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.75% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.42% across Wisconsin. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cityofmadison.com.
Who is the mayor of Madison?
Satya Rhodes-Conway, as listed by Open States (checked October 9, 2026). The council and agencies are listed on cityofmadison.com.
How did Madison vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 83.0%, Donald J Trump 15.1% (173,506 votes, official results). Dane County: Harris 74.9%, Trump 23.4%. Wisconsin: Trump 49.6%, Harris 48.7%.
How many people work for Madison?
2,905 full-time and 730 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $23.1M (about $277.8M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Madison in the state legislature?
Madison is split among 8 Assembly districts and 4 State Senate districts, so your address decides. The Wisconsin Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Madison’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 →