How is Bethlehem run?
Bethlehem’s village government spent $1.8 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $766 per resident. That is its newest year reported to the Census Bureau. Water and other utilities ($613,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Bethlehem is run
Read from the village’s budget and official records.
About $766 per resident a year, or $2.10 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 30%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$766 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
Bethlehem’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($766 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 114 West Virginia cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $645, and the middle half spent $334–$964. Bethlehem spent more than 60% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($496,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
West Virginia cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Bethlehem itself left out).
No trend yet
Bethlehem reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau (2024 is an estimate), so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $1,150 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.58% 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 Bethlehem’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 Bethlehem’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Bethlehem →
Who’s in charge in Bethlehem
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Bethlehem’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The village posts agendas and minutes on local.wv.gov/bethlehem ↗.
One full-time village employee for every 460 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 (2,298).
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.
Ohio County School District
Bethlehem’s K–12 school district, shared with Clearview, Triadelphia, Valley Grove, West Liberty, Wheeling. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $16,977 per pupil, $10,271 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.
Bethlehem’s votes are counted by county
West Virginia reports official results by county and precinct, not by village, so there are no official results for Bethlehem alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Ohio County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican62.0%11,593 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat36.0%6,727 votesOthers: 2.0% (369 votes).
Most votes in Ohio County: Donald J Trump
West Virginia: Trump 70.0%, Harris 28.1%
100% of Bethlehem lies in Ohio County. Every 2024 race in Ohio County is on the county’s page.
Ohio 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 Bethlehem.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: local.wv.gov/bethlehem ↗
- 2West Virginia House of DelegatesState representatives
- 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 Bethlehem compares with the towns next door
Bethlehem spent $766 per resident in 2022; the neighbor that reported 2022 spent $3,223. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Wheeling | $3,223 | $917 |
| Bethlehem | $766 | $1,150 |
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 Bethlehem’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Bethlehem’s government
How much does Bethlehem spend per resident?
About $766 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $766 was more than 60% of 114 West Virginia cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Bethlehem?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,150 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.57% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.53% across West Virginia. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see local.wv.gov/bethlehem.
Who runs Bethlehem’s government?
See local.wv.gov/bethlehem for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Bethlehem yet.
How did Bethlehem vote in 2024?
West Virginia counts votes by county and precinct, not by village, so there are no official results for Bethlehem alone. Ohio County, where 100% of Bethlehem lies, voted Trump 62.0%, Harris 36.0% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Bethlehem?
5 full-time and 47 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $64,931 (about $779,172 a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Bethlehem in the state legislature?
State Senate District 1 (Laura Chapman and Ryan Weld) and House of Delegates District 4 (Shane Stack). The House of Delegates district also covers three neighboring towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Bethlehem’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 →