Merton spent less per resident in 2022 than 99% of similar cities
Merton’s village government spent $1.3 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $335 per resident.
What stands out about how Merton is run
Read from the village’s budget and official records.
$335 per resident in 2022: less than 99% of them
Merton’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($335 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. Merton spent less than 99% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($102,000), 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 cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Merton itself left out).
About $335 per resident a year, or $0.92 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 28%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Merton reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $5,478 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.95% 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 Merton’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 Merton’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Merton →
Who’s in charge in Merton
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Merton’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The village posts agendas and minutes on townofmerton.com ↗.
One full-time village employee for every 3,812 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 (3,812).
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.
Arrowhead Union High School District
Merton’s high school district, shared with Chenequa, Delafield, Delafield, Hartland, Lisbon and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $14,371 per pupil, $8,371 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.
Merton Community School District · $12,062 per pupil
Swallow School District · $14,043 per pupil
Richmond School District · $14,842 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
How Merton voted in 2024
Official results for Merton’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Donald J TrumpRepublican69.1%1,694 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat29.4%722 votesOthers: 1.5% (36 votes).
Most votes in Merton: Donald J Trump
Waukesha County: Trump 59.0%, Harris 39.3% · Wisconsin: Trump 49.6%, Harris 48.7%
of Merton’s 2,487 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Wisconsin: 76%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Merton: Eric Hovde
Waukesha County: Hovde 59.8%, Baldwin 38.7% · Wisconsin: Baldwin 49.3%, Hovde 48.5%
Most votes in the district: Scott Fitzgerald
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Merton, its county and the state
| Trump | Harris | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Merton | 69.1% | 29.4% | 1.5% | 2,452 |
| Waukesha County | 59.0% | 39.3% | 1.6% | 275,787 |
| 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 Merton.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: townofmerton.com ↗
- 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 Merton compares with the towns next door
Merton spent $335 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Lisbon | $740 | $4,727 |
| Merton | $335 | $5,478 |
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 Merton’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Merton’s government
How much does Merton spend per resident?
About $335 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 $335 was less than 99% of 134 Wisconsin cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Merton?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $5,478 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.95% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.42% across Wisconsin. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see townofmerton.com.
Who runs Merton’s government?
See townofmerton.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Merton yet.
How did Merton vote in 2024?
For president, Donald J Trump 69.1%, Kamala D Harris 29.4% (2,452 votes, official results). Waukesha County: Trump 59.0%, Harris 39.3%. Wisconsin: Trump 49.6%, Harris 48.7%.
How many people work for Merton?
1 full-time and 10 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $10,968 (about $131,616 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Merton in the state legislature?
State Senate District 33 (Chris Kapenga) and Assembly District 98 (Jim Piwowarczyk). The Assembly district also covers six other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Merton’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 →