Big Sand Lake Club · Photo: Sa magnuson33 · CC BY-SA 3.0Phelps spent more per resident in 2022 than 82% of similar towns
Phelps’ town government spent $1.1 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $858 per resident.
What stands out about how Phelps is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$858 per resident in 2022: more than 82% of them
Phelps’ day-to-day spending in 2022 ($858 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. Phelps spent more than 82% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($13,000), 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; Phelps itself left out).
About $858 per resident a year, or $2.35 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 47%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Phelps reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $1,894 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.79% 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 Phelps’ 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 Phelps’ Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Phelps →
Who’s in charge in Phelps
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Phelps’ meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on phelpswi.gov ↗.
One full-time town employee for every 323 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (1,291).
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.
Phelps School District
Phelps’ K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $32,478 per pupil, $15,663 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 Phelps voted in 2024
Official results for Phelps’ own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Donald J TrumpRepublican67.1%637 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat32.2%306 votesOthers: 0.7% (7 votes).
Most votes in Phelps: Donald J Trump
Vilas County: Trump 61.0%, Harris 37.9% · Wisconsin: Trump 49.6%, Harris 48.7%
of Phelps’ 1,223 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Wisconsin: 76%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Phelps: Eric Hovde
Vilas County: Hovde 60.0%, Baldwin 38.2% · Wisconsin: Baldwin 49.3%, Hovde 48.5%
Most votes in the district: Tom Tiffany
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Phelps, its county and the state
| Trump | Harris | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phelps | 67.1% | 32.2% | 0.7% | 950 |
| Vilas County | 61.0% | 37.9% | 1.1% | 16,135 |
| 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 Phelps.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: phelpswi.gov ↗
- 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 Phelps compares with the towns next door
Phelps spent $858 per resident in 2022; the 5 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $995 to $2,191. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Washington | $995 | $2,160 |
| Conover | $1,044 | $2,196 |
| Hiles | $1,432 | $2,229 |
| Land O'Lakes | $1,573 | $2,287 |
| Alvin | $2,191 | $1,325 |
| Phelps | $858 | $1,894 |
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 Phelps’ government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Phelps’ government
How much does Phelps spend per resident?
About $858 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 $858 was more than 82% of 1113 Wisconsin towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Phelps?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,894 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.79% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.42% across Wisconsin. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see phelpswi.gov.
Who runs Phelps’ government?
See phelpswi.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Phelps yet.
How did Phelps vote in 2024?
For president, Donald J Trump 67.1%, Kamala D Harris 32.2% (950 votes, official results). Vilas County: Trump 61.0%, Harris 37.9%. Wisconsin: Trump 49.6%, Harris 48.7%.
How many people work for Phelps?
4 full-time and 22 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $40,383 (about $484,596 a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Phelps in the state legislature?
State Senate District 12 (Mary Felzkowski) and Assembly District 34 (Rob Swearingen). The Assembly district also covers 34 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Phelps’ 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 →