Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0Beckley spent more per resident in 2022 than 87% of similar cities
Beckley’s city government spent $34.6 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $2,067 per resident.
What stands out about how Beckley is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$2,104 per resident in 2022: more than 87% of them
Beckley’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($2,104 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 23 West Virginia cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,295, and the middle half spent $1,044–$1,844. Beckley spent more than 87% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($6.9 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 →
West Virginia cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Beckley itself left out).
About $2,067 per resident a year, or $5.66 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 22%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 4% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Beckley 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: $2,104 · 2023: $2,041 · 2024: $2,067. Per resident it went from $2,104 to $2,067 (down 2%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 15,805 to 16,749.
full-time in March 2025, down from 261 in 2022.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $777 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.49% of the home’s value, vs 0.53% across West Virginia.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Beckley’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 Beckley’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Beckley →
Who’s in charge in Beckley
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Beckley’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on beckley.org ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 70 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (16,749).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Raleigh County School District
Beckley’s K–12 school district, shared with Lester, Mabscott, Sophia. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $14,417 per pupil, $8,436 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.
West Virginia districts overall: 36% local, 46% state, 18% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Beckley’s votes are counted by county
West Virginia reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Beckley alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Raleigh County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican76.4%23,644 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat22.0%6,816 votesOthers: 1.6% (506 votes).
Most votes in Raleigh County: Donald J Trump
West Virginia: Trump 70.0%, Harris 28.1%
100% of Beckley lies in Raleigh County. Every 2024 race in Raleigh County is on the county’s page.
Raleigh County’s 2024 results →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 Beckley.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: beckley.org ↗
- 2West Virginia House of DelegatesBeckley is split between 2 districts
- 3West Virginia SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of West Virginia
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Beckley compares with the towns next door
Beckley spent $2,104 per resident in 2022. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Mabscott | estimate | $991 |
| Beckley | $2,104 | $777 |
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 Beckley’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Beckley’s government
How much does Beckley spend per resident?
About $2,067 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $2,104 was more than 87% of 23 West Virginia cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Beckley?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $777 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.49% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.53% across West Virginia. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see beckley.org.
Who runs Beckley’s government?
See beckley.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Beckley yet.
How did Beckley vote in 2024?
West Virginia counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Beckley alone. Raleigh County, where 100% of Beckley lies, voted Trump 76.4%, Harris 22.0% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Beckley?
238 full-time and 24 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $1.1M (about $13.0M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Beckley in the state legislature?
Beckley is split among 2 House of Delegates districts, so your address decides. The West Virginia Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Its State Senate district is District 9 (Brian Helton and Rollan Roberts). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Beckley’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 →