McFarland House · Photo: James Steakley · CC BY-SA 3.0How is McFarland run?
McFarland’s village government spent $13.5 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, about $1,443 per resident. Water and other utilities ($1.8 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how McFarland is run
Read from the village’s budget and official records.
About $1,443 per resident a year, or $3.95 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 20%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,128 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
McFarland’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,128 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 $1,178, and the middle half spent $990–$1,415. McFarland spent less than 56% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($2.2 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 of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; McFarland itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is up 29% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years McFarland 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: $1,128 · 2023: $1,290 · 2024: $1,443.
full-time in March 2025, the same as 48 in 2022. Both are Census estimates.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $6,253 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.60% 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 McFarland’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 McFarland’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in McFarland →
Who’s in charge in McFarland
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
McFarland’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The village posts agendas and minutes on mcfarland.wi.us ↗.
One full-time village employee for every 195 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (9,378).
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.
McFarland School District
McFarland’s K–12 school district, shared with Dunn. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $13,217 per pupil, $10,620 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 McFarland voted in 2024
Official results for McFarland’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat70.7%4,493 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican27.9%1,777 votesOthers: 1.4% (88 votes).
Most votes in McFarland: Kamala D Harris
Dane County: Harris 74.9%, Trump 23.4% · Wisconsin: Trump 49.6%, Harris 48.7%
of McFarland’s 6,754 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Wisconsin: 76%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in McFarland: 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: McFarland, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| McFarland | 70.7% | 27.9% | 1.4% | 6,358 |
| 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 McFarland.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: mcfarland.wi.us ↗
- 2Wisconsin AssemblyMcFarland is split between 3 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 McFarland compares with the towns next door
McFarland spent $1,128 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Dunn | $439 | $6,235 |
| Blooming Grove | $458 | $3,894 |
| Pleasant Springs | $464 | $4,939 |
| Cottage Grove | $611 | $5,843 |
| Madison | $1,738 | $6,541 |
| McFarland | $1,128 | $6,253 |
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 McFarland’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about McFarland’s government
How much does McFarland spend per resident?
About $1,443 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 $1,128 was less than 56% of 134 Wisconsin cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in McFarland?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $6,253 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.60% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.42% across Wisconsin. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see mcfarland.wi.us.
Who runs McFarland’s government?
See mcfarland.wi.us for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for McFarland yet.
How did McFarland vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 70.7%, Donald J Trump 27.9% (6,358 votes, official results). Dane County: Harris 74.9%, Trump 23.4%. Wisconsin: Trump 49.6%, Harris 48.7%.
How many people work for McFarland?
48 full-time and 105 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $512,081 (about $6.1M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents McFarland in the state legislature?
McFarland is split among 3 Assembly districts and 2 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 McFarland’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 →