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Town Hall · Trenton

Trenton spent less per resident in 2022 than 99% of similar towns

Trenton’s town government spent $398,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $208 per resident.

Day-to-day spending, 2022
$398,000
year to December 31, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$208
In 2022: $208, less than 99% of 1113 similar towns
Long-term debt
$274,000
end of 2022, reported
Town staff, 2022
1
full-time · 8 part-time · March payroll $9,934
Typical tax bill
$3,791
1.26% of home value · WI 1.42%

What stands out about how Trenton is run

Read from the town’s budget and official records.

Compared with similar places

$208 per resident in 2022: less than 99% of them

Trenton’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($208 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 $511, and the middle half spent $373–$727. Trenton spent less than 99% of them.

Middle half of the group, $373–$727Median $511Trenton

Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →

The group
1113

Wisconsin towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Trenton itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $208 per resident a year, or $0.57 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 47%.

Where the money comes from
Property taxes 47%From the state 28%From the federal government 14%Other taxes & licenses 6%Interest, fines & other 4%Fees & charges <1%From other local governments <1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $107,000; interest on debt $1,000. With these, the whole budget was $506,000.
Over the years

No trend yet

Trenton reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $3,791 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.26% of the home’s value, vs 1.42% across Wisconsin.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Hartland$4,041
Trimbelle$3,996
Wisconsin$3,792
Trenton$3,791
Diamond Bluff$3,045
Red Wing$2,776
$3,791
typical bill a year
1.26%
effective rate
$301,800
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Trenton’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 Trenton’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Trenton →

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Trenton

Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.

Check Trenton’s own website for current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Trenton yet.
Who works for Trenton

One full-time town employee for every 1,911 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 (1,911).

By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022

Administration & buildings0 + 7 pt
Roads & transportation1 + 1 pt
1
full-time
8
part-time
$9,934
payroll for March 2022
$119,208
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$51,400
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
Compared, 2022.Trenton had 0.5 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 835 of the 1113 Wisconsin towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 0.4: Trenton had more than 51% of them. Same group and year as the budget comparison.

The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.

The school district

Ellsworth Community School District

Trenton’s K–12 school district, shared with Bay City, Ellsworth, Ellsworth, Hartland, Isabelle and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Trenton →
$15,292
per pupil · WI $16,459
1,620
students
$38.4 million
long-term debt

Of the $15,292 per pupil, $8,720 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.

The district: schools, scores and graduation →

Where the district’s money comes from
Local 36%State 57%Federal 7%

Wisconsin districts overall: 39% local, 50% state, 11% federal.

School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.

Elections · 2024 general election

How Trenton voted in 2024

Official results for Trenton’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.

President1,167 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican64.7%755 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat32.6%381 votes

Others: 2.7% (31 votes).

Most votes in Trenton: Donald J Trump

Pierce County: Trump 56.8%, Harris 40.1% · Wisconsin: Trump 49.6%, Harris 48.7%

Turnout
84%

of Trenton’s 1,396 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Wisconsin: 76%.

Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).

U.S. Senate1,170 votes
Eric HovdeRepublican63.2%
Tammy BaldwinDemocrat34.2%
Others2.6%

Most votes in Trenton: Eric Hovde

Pierce County: Hovde 56.4%, Baldwin 41.4% · Wisconsin: Baldwin 49.3%, Hovde 48.5%

U.S. House · Wisconsin’s 3rd District413,181 votes
Derrick Van OrdenRepublican51.3%
Rebecca CookeDemocrat48.6%
Others0.1%

Most votes in the district: Derrick Van Orden

Whole-district result

President, 2024: Trenton, its county and the state

TrumpHarrisOthersVotes
Trenton64.7%32.6%2.7%1,167
Pierce County56.8%40.1%3.2%25,392
Wisconsin49.6%48.7%1.7%3,422,918
DemocratRepublicanLibertarianIndependent / other

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.

Who represents Trenton

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Trenton.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your townTown government
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  2. 2
    Wisconsin AssemblyState representatives
  3. 3
    Wisconsin SenateState senator
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Wisconsin

Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.

Next door

How Trenton compares with the towns next door

Trenton spent $208 per resident in 2022; the 3 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $149 to $352. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.

Spends the leastSpends the mostEstimate or no figures
TownDay-to-day, per resident (2022)Tax bill
Diamond Bluff$149$3,045
Hartland$333$4,041
Trimbelle$352$3,996
Trenton$208$3,791

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 Trenton’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Trenton’s government

How much does Trenton spend per resident?

About $208 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 $208 was less than 99% of 1113 Wisconsin towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Trenton?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,791 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.26% 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 Trenton’s government?

We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Trenton yet.

How did Trenton vote in 2024?

For president, Donald J Trump 64.7%, Kamala D Harris 32.6% (1,167 votes, official results). Pierce County: Trump 56.8%, Harris 40.1%. Wisconsin: Trump 49.6%, Harris 48.7%.

How many people work for Trenton?

1 full-time and 8 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $9,934 (about $119,208 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Trenton in the state legislature?

State Senate District 10 (Rob Stafsholt) and Assembly District 29 (Treig Pronschinske). The Assembly district also covers 65 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Trenton’s government

Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.

Town Square →
Ask neighbors

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 →