Turtle Lake spent more per resident in 2022 than 94% of similar cities
Turtle Lake’s village government spent $2.4 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $2,382 per resident. Water and other utilities ($532,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Turtle Lake is run
Read from the village’s budget and official records.
$2,382 per resident in 2022: more than 94% of them
Turtle Lake’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($2,382 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–$1,416. Turtle Lake spent more than 94% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($1.1 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 under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Turtle Lake itself left out).
About $2,382 per resident a year, or $6.53 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 47%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Turtle Lake reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $2,574 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.63% 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 Turtle Lake’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 Turtle Lake’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Turtle Lake →
Who’s in charge in Turtle Lake
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time village employee for every 110 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 (990).
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.
Turtle Lake School District
Turtle Lake’s K–12 school district, shared with Beaver, Almena, Johnstown, Turtle Lake. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $15,626 per pupil, $9,340 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 Turtle Lake voted in 2024
Official results for Turtle Lake’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Donald J TrumpRepublican64.2%310 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat31.5%152 votesOthers: 4.3% (21 votes).
Most votes in Turtle Lake: Donald J Trump
Barron County: Trump 62.4%, Harris 33.4% · Wisconsin: Trump 49.6%, Harris 48.7%
of Turtle Lake’s 789 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Wisconsin: 76%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Turtle Lake: Eric Hovde
Barron County: Hovde 62.0%, Baldwin 35.2% · Wisconsin: Baldwin 49.3%, Hovde 48.5%
Most votes in the district: Tom Tiffany
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Turtle Lake, its county and the state
| Trump | Harris | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turtle Lake | 64.2% | 31.5% | 4.3% | 483 |
| Barron County | 62.4% | 33.4% | 4.3% | 26,809 |
| 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 Turtle Lake.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 2Wisconsin AssemblyTurtle Lake is split between 2 districts
- 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 Turtle Lake compares with the towns next door
Turtle Lake spent $2,382 per resident in 2022. Most of its neighbors are townships, a different kind of government, so the like-for-like comparison is with similar cities, above. Tap a town to see its page.
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 Turtle Lake’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Turtle Lake’s government
How much does Turtle Lake spend per resident?
About $2,382 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 $2,382 was more than 94% of 375 Wisconsin cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Turtle Lake?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,574 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.63% 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 Turtle Lake’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Turtle Lake yet.
How did Turtle Lake vote in 2024?
For president, Donald J Trump 64.2%, Kamala D Harris 31.5% (483 votes, official results). Barron County: Trump 62.4%, Harris 33.4%. Wisconsin: Trump 49.6%, Harris 48.7%.
How many people work for Turtle Lake?
9 full-time and 22 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $58,064 (about $696,768 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Turtle Lake in the state legislature?
Turtle Lake is split among 2 Assembly districts and 2 State Senate districts, so your address decides. The Wisconsin Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Turtle Lake’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 →