Photo: Nyttend · Public domainBolivar spent less per resident in 2022 than 89% of similar cities
Bolivar’s town government spent $231,000 on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $227 per resident.
What stands out about how Bolivar is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$227 per resident in 2022: less than 89% of them
Bolivar’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($227 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 $658, and the middle half spent $352–$964. Bolivar spent less than 89% of 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; Bolivar itself left out).
About $227 per resident a year, or $0.62 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 69%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Bolivar reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $1,661 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.66% 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 Bolivar’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 Bolivar’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Bolivar →
Who’s in charge in Bolivar
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Bolivar’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on bolivarwv.org ↗.
One full-time town employee for every 339 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 (1,018).
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.
Jefferson County School District
Bolivar’s K–12 school district, shared with Charles Town, Harpers Ferry, Ranson corporation, Shepherdstown. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $15,294 per pupil, $8,544 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.
Bolivar’s votes are counted by county
West Virginia reports official results by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Bolivar alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Jefferson County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican56.8%16,573 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat41.0%11,967 votesOthers: 2.1% (616 votes).
Most votes in Jefferson County: Donald J Trump
West Virginia: Trump 70.0%, Harris 28.1%
100% of Bolivar lies in Jefferson County. Every 2024 race in Jefferson County is on the county’s page.
Jefferson 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 Bolivar.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: bolivarwv.org ↗
- 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 Bolivar compares with the towns next door
Bolivar spent $227 per resident in 2022; the neighbor that reported 2022 spent $3,091. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Harpers Ferry | $3,091 | $2,706 |
| Bolivar | $227 | $1,661 |
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 Bolivar’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Bolivar’s government
How much does Bolivar spend per resident?
About $227 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 $227 was less than 89% of 114 West Virginia cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Bolivar?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,661 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.66% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.53% across West Virginia. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see bolivarwv.org.
Who runs Bolivar’s government?
See bolivarwv.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Bolivar yet.
How did Bolivar vote in 2024?
West Virginia counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Bolivar alone. Jefferson County, where 100% of Bolivar lies, voted Trump 56.8%, Harris 41.0% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Bolivar?
3 full-time and 0 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $10,037 (about $120,444 a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Bolivar in the state legislature?
State Senate District 16 (Jason Barrett and Patricia Rucker) and House of Delegates District 100 (Bill Ridenour). The House of Delegates district also covers two neighboring towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Bolivar’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 →