Salem Lakes spent less per resident in 2022 than 90% of similar cities
Salem Lakes’ village government spent $10.9 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2023, about $747 per resident.
What stands out about how Salem Lakes is run
Read from the village’s budget and official records.
$727 per resident in 2022: less than 90% of them
Salem Lakes’ day-to-day spending in 2022 ($727 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 59 Wisconsin cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,166, and the middle half spent $962–$1,409. Salem Lakes spent less than 90% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($4.8 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 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Salem Lakes itself left out).
About $747 per resident a year, or $2.05 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 48%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending has held about steady since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Salem Lakes 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: $727 · 2023: $747.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $4,779 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.51% 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 Salem Lakes’ 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 Salem Lakes’ Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Salem Lakes →
Who’s in charge in Salem Lakes
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time village employee for every 430 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 2023 finance file (14,614).
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.
Wilmot Union High School District
Salem Lakes’ high school district, shared with Randall, Twin Lakes. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $15,253 per pupil, $8,525 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.
Salem School District · $15,454 per pupil
Westosha Central High School District · $13,534 per pupil
Trevor-Wilmot Consolidated School District · $17,612 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
How Salem Lakes voted in 2024
Official results for Salem Lakes’ own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Donald J TrumpRepublican66.3%5,915 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat32.1%2,867 votesOthers: 1.6% (140 votes).
Most votes in Salem Lakes: Donald J Trump
Kenosha County: Trump 52.4%, Harris 46.1% · Wisconsin: Trump 49.6%, Harris 48.7%
of Salem Lakes’ 11,269 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Wisconsin: 76%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Salem Lakes: Eric Hovde
Kenosha County: Hovde 50.4%, Baldwin 46.8% · Wisconsin: Baldwin 49.3%, Hovde 48.5%
Most votes in the district: Bryan Steil
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Salem Lakes, its county and the state
| Trump | Harris | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salem Lakes | 66.3% | 32.1% | 1.6% | 8,922 |
| Kenosha County | 52.4% | 46.1% | 1.5% | 90,680 |
| 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 Salem Lakes.
- 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.
How Salem Lakes compares with the towns next door
Salem Lakes spent $727 per resident in 2022; the 4 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $279 to $946. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Brighton | $279 | $5,873 |
| Randall | $407 | $4,447 |
| Bristol | $888 | $4,440 |
| Paddock Lake | $946 | $3,348 |
| Salem Lakes | $727 | $4,779 |
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 Salem Lakes’ government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Salem Lakes’ government
How much does Salem Lakes spend per resident?
About $747 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2023, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $727 was less than 90% of 59 Wisconsin cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Salem Lakes?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $4,779 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.51% 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 Salem Lakes’ government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Salem Lakes yet.
How did Salem Lakes vote in 2024?
For president, Donald J Trump 66.3%, Kamala D Harris 32.1% (8,922 votes, official results). Kenosha County: Trump 52.4%, Harris 46.1%. Wisconsin: Trump 49.6%, Harris 48.7%.
How many people work for Salem Lakes?
34 full-time and 49 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $213,658 (about $2.6M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Salem Lakes in the state legislature?
State Senate District 11 (Steve Nass) and Assembly District 32 (Amanda Nedweski). The Assembly district also covers 13 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Salem Lakes’ 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 →