Photo: Cbradshaw · CC BY-SA 3.0Mercer spent more per resident in 2022 than 91% of similar towns
Mercer’s town government spent $1.6 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $1,178 per resident.
What stands out about how Mercer is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$1,178 per resident in 2022: more than 91% of them
Mercer’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,178 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. Mercer spent more than 91% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($67,000), 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; Mercer itself left out).
About $1,178 per resident a year, or $3.23 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 47%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Mercer reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $2,877 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.00% 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 Mercer’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 Mercer’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Mercer →
Who’s in charge in Mercer
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time town employee for every 173 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 (1,387).
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.
Mercer School District
Mercer’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $26,924 per pupil, $13,952 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 Mercer voted in 2024
Official results for Mercer’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Donald J TrumpRepublican64.4%771 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat34.8%416 votesOthers: 0.8% (10 votes).
Most votes in Mercer: Donald J Trump
Iron County: Trump 62.6%, Harris 36.4% · Wisconsin: Trump 49.6%, Harris 48.7%
of Mercer’s 1,308 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Wisconsin: 76%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Mercer: Eric Hovde
Iron County: Hovde 60.6%, Baldwin 37.5% · Wisconsin: Baldwin 49.3%, Hovde 48.5%
Most votes in the district: Tom Tiffany
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Mercer, its county and the state
| Trump | Harris | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercer | 64.4% | 34.8% | 0.8% | 1,197 |
| Iron County | 62.6% | 36.4% | 1.0% | 4,084 |
| Wisconsin | 49.6% | 48.7% | 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 Mercer.
- 1Your townTown governmentLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 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 Mercer compares with the towns next door
Mercer spent $1,178 per resident in 2022; the 7 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $993 to $2,447. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Agenda | $993 | $1,810 |
| Sherman | $1,136 | $3,088 |
| Carey | $1,187 | $2,600 |
| Oma | $1,386 | $3,059 |
| Knight | $1,957 | $700 |
| Winchester | $2,299 | $2,410 |
| Manitowish Waters | $2,447 | $4,284 |
| Mercer | $1,178 | $2,877 |
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 Mercer’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Mercer’s government
How much does Mercer spend per resident?
About $1,178 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 $1,178 was more than 91% of 1113 Wisconsin towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Mercer?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,877 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.00% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.42% across Wisconsin. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the town’s assessor.
Who runs Mercer’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Mercer yet.
How did Mercer vote in 2024?
For president, Donald J Trump 64.4%, Kamala D Harris 34.8% (1,197 votes, official results). Iron County: Trump 62.6%, Harris 36.4%. Wisconsin: Trump 49.6%, Harris 48.7%.
How many people work for Mercer?
8 full-time and 28 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $48,897 (about $586,764 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Mercer in the state legislature?
State Senate District 25 (Romaine Quinn) and Assembly District 74 (Chanz Green). The Assembly district also covers 91 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Mercer’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 →