Jacob Weber House · Photo: Jeff the quiet · CC0Wisconsin Dells spent more per resident in 2022 than 99% of similar cities
Wisconsin Dells’ city government spent $12 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2023, about $3,748 per resident. Water and other utilities ($8.8 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Wisconsin Dells is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$3,362 per resident in 2022: more than 99% of them
Wisconsin Dells’ day-to-day spending in 2022 ($3,362 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 134 Wisconsin State cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,174, and the middle half spent $990–$1,409. Wisconsin Dells spent more than 99% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($1.4 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 State cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Wisconsin Dells itself left out).
About $3,748 per resident a year, or $10.27 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 21%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 16% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Wisconsin Dells 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: $3,362 · 2023: $3,748.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $3,570 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.72% of the home’s value, vs 1.42% across Wisconsin State.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Wisconsin Dells’ 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 Wisconsin Dells’ Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Wisconsin Dells →
Who’s in charge in Wisconsin Dells
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Wisconsin Dells’ meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on citywd.org ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 57 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2023 finance file (3,198).
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.
Wisconsin Dells School District
Wisconsin Dells’ K–12 school district, shared with Dell Prairie, Newport, New Haven, Lake Delton, Lyndon and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $13,650 per pupil, $8,384 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 State districts overall: 39% local, 50% state, 11% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
How Wisconsin Dells voted in 2024
Official results for Wisconsin Dells’ own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the state beside them.
Donald J TrumpRepublican53.5%769 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat45.2%650 votesOthers: 1.3% (18 votes).
Most votes in Wisconsin Dells: Donald J Trump
Wisconsin State: Trump 49.6%, Harris 48.7%
of Wisconsin Dells’ 1,973 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Wisconsin State: 76%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Wisconsin Dells: Eric Hovde
Wisconsin State: Baldwin 49.3%, Hovde 48.5%
U.S. House, 2024: 3 districts cover Wisconsin Dells, so your street decides which race was yours. All 3 districts’ results →
President, 2024: Wisconsin Dells, the state
| Trump | Harris | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wisconsin Dells | 53.5% | 45.2% | 1.3% | 1,437 |
| Wisconsin State | 49.6% | 48.7% | 1.7% | 3,422,918 |
Wisconsin Dells is four counties, so there is no single county to set beside it; its result is theirs combined.
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 Wisconsin Dells.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: citywd.org ↗
- 2Wisconsin AssemblyState representatives
- 3Wisconsin SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseSplit between districts
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Wisconsin
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Wisconsin Dells compares with the towns next door
Wisconsin Dells spent $3,362 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.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Dell Prairie | $344 | $3,146 |
| Lyndon | $420 | $2,665 |
| Delton | $556 | $3,186 |
| Newport | $670 | $2,714 |
| Lake Delton | $8,558 | $1,583 |
| Wisconsin Dells | $3,362 | $3,570 |
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 Wisconsin Dells’ government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Wisconsin Dells’ government
How much does Wisconsin Dells spend per resident?
About $3,748 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 $3,362 was more than 99% of 134 Wisconsin State cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Wisconsin Dells?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,570 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.72% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.42% across Wisconsin State. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see citywd.org.
Who runs Wisconsin Dells’ government?
See citywd.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Wisconsin Dells yet.
How did Wisconsin Dells vote in 2024?
For president, Donald J Trump 53.5%, Kamala D Harris 45.2% (1,437 votes, official results). Wisconsin State: Trump 49.6%, Harris 48.7%.
How many people work for Wisconsin Dells?
56 full-time and 16 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $329,417 (about $4.0M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Wisconsin Dells in the state legislature?
State Senate District 14 (Sarah Keyeski) and Assembly District 41 (Tony Kurtz). The Assembly district also covers 54 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Wisconsin Dells’ 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 →