Photo: User:Royalbroil · CC BY-SA 2.5In Plain, 80% of adult citizens voted for president in 2024, more than across Wisconsin
Plain’s village government spent $1.1 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $1,380 per resident. Water and other utilities ($188,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Plain is run
Read from the village’s budget and official records.
$1,380 per resident in 2022: more than 73% of them
Plain’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,380 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 375 Wisconsin cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,105, and the middle half spent $864–$1,431. Plain spent more than 73% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($376,000), 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 under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Plain itself left out).
About $1,380 per resident a year, or $3.78 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 36%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Plain reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $3,795 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.62% 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 Plain’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 Plain’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Plain →
Who’s in charge in Plain
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time village employee for every 191 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 (765).
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.
River Valley School District
Plain’s K–12 school district, shared with Arena, Lone Rock, Spring Green, Spring Green, Arena and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $17,263 per pupil, $10,498 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 Plain voted in 2024
Official results for Plain’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Donald J TrumpRepublican53.8%249 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat45.6%211 votesOthers: 0.6% (3 votes).
Most votes in Plain: Donald J Trump
Sauk County: Trump 50.0%, Harris 48.4% · Wisconsin: Trump 49.6%, Harris 48.7%
of Plain’s 580 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Wisconsin: 76%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Plain: Eric Hovde
Sauk County: Baldwin 49.6%, Hovde 48.1% · Wisconsin: Baldwin 49.3%, Hovde 48.5%
Most votes in the district: Mark Pocan
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Plain, its county and the state
| Trump | Harris | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plain | 53.8% | 45.6% | 0.6% | 463 |
| Sauk County | 50.0% | 48.4% | 1.6% | 37,584 |
| 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 Plain.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilLocal 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.
Reach Plain’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Plain’s government
How much does Plain spend per resident?
About $1,380 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 $1,380 was more than 73% of 375 Wisconsin cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Plain?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,795 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.62% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.42% across Wisconsin. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the village’s assessor.
Who runs Plain’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Plain yet.
How did Plain vote in 2024?
For president, Donald J Trump 53.8%, Kamala D Harris 45.6% (463 votes, official results). Sauk County: Trump 50.0%, Harris 48.4%. Wisconsin: Trump 49.6%, Harris 48.7%.
How many people work for Plain?
4 full-time and 8 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $25,303 (about $303,636 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Plain in the state legislature?
State Senate District 14 (Sarah Keyeski) and Assembly District 40 (Karen DeSanto). The Assembly district also covers 26 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Plain’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 →