Oehler Mill Complex · Photo: Jeff the quiet · CC0Shelby spent more per resident in 2022 than 85% of similar towns
Shelby’s town government spent $2.5 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $514 per resident.
What stands out about how Shelby is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$514 per resident in 2022: more than 85% of them
Shelby’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($514 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 127 Wisconsin towns and townships of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $357, and the middle half spent $276–$434. Shelby spent more than 85% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($299,000), 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 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Shelby itself left out).
About $514 per resident a year, or $1.41 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 51%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Shelby reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $4,322 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.43% 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 Shelby’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 Shelby’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Shelby →
Who’s in charge in Shelby
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time town employee for every 4,925 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 (4,925).
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.
La Crosse School District
Shelby’s K–12 school district, shared with Campbell, La Crosse, Medary, Greenfield, Bergen. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $19,797 per pupil, $9,651 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.
West Salem School District · $15,788 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
How Shelby voted in 2024
Official results for Shelby’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat57.4%1,842 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican40.9%1,311 votesOthers: 1.7% (56 votes).
Most votes in Shelby: Kamala D Harris
La Crosse County: Harris 54.0%, Trump 44.6% · Wisconsin: Trump 49.6%, Harris 48.7%
of Shelby’s 3,852 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Wisconsin: 76%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Shelby: Tammy Baldwin
La Crosse County: Baldwin 54.8%, Hovde 42.9% · Wisconsin: Baldwin 49.3%, Hovde 48.5%
Most votes in the district: Derrick Van Orden
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Shelby, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shelby | 57.4% | 40.9% | 1.7% | 3,209 |
| La Crosse County | 54.0% | 44.6% | 1.4% | 72,261 |
| Wisconsin | 48.7% | 49.6% | 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 Shelby.
- 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 Shelby compares with the towns next door
Shelby spent $514 per resident in 2022; the 5 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $306 to $1,408. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Medary | $306 | $3,923 |
| Greenfield | $358 | $3,983 |
| Bergen | $369 | $3,869 |
| Hamburg | $518 | $4,934 |
| La Crosse | $1,408 | $3,854 |
| Shelby | $514 | $4,322 |
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 Shelby’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Shelby’s government
How much does Shelby spend per resident?
About $514 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 $514 was more than 85% of 127 Wisconsin towns and townships of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Shelby?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $4,322 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.43% 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 Shelby’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Shelby yet.
How did Shelby vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 57.4%, Donald J Trump 40.9% (3,209 votes, official results). La Crosse County: Harris 54.0%, Trump 44.6%. Wisconsin: Trump 49.6%, Harris 48.7%.
How many people work for Shelby?
1 full-time and 9 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $12,857 (about $154,284 a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Shelby in the state legislature?
State Senate District 32 (Brad Pfaff) and Assembly District 96 (Tara Johnson). The Assembly district also covers 33 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Shelby’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 →