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Overlooking what what were once bustling rail lines of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad in Grafton, West Virginia, which was an early B&O hub LCCN2015631657Photo: Carol M. Highsmith · Public domain
Town Hall · Grafton

Grafton runs its own hospital

Grafton’s city government spent $4.7 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $1,023 per resident. These are Census Bureau estimates: Grafton didn’t report its figures, so this page shows them without comparisons.

Town website
Day-to-day spending, 2024
$4.7M
year to June 30, 2024 · Census estimate
Per resident, 2024
$1,023
Census estimate · not compared
Long-term debt
$3.4M
end of FY2024 · Census estimate
City staff, 2022
42
full-time, hospital & welfare staff apart (42 in all) · March payroll $138,682 · Census estimate
Typical tax bill
$413
0.55% of home value · WV 0.53%

What stands out about how Grafton is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

★ What stands out · Your share of the 2024 budget

About $1,023 per resident a year, or $2.80 a day

Day-to-day services only (a Census Bureau estimate). The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 32%.

Where the money comes from
Fees & charges 82%Utility sales 5%Other taxes & licenses 4%Sales taxes 3%Interest, fines & other 3%Property taxes 2%From the state <1%
An estimate

Grafton didn’t report all of its 2024 figures to the Census Bureau, so most of these numbers are the Bureau’s estimates.

Not in the receipt.Building projects $80,000; interest on debt $107,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $29.8 million.
Why the hospital is apart.The Census Bureau counts the hospital it runs in the city’s books ($23.6 million, 80% of all operations). Only 135 of the 11,301 towns and cities of 2,500+ run one (Census finance files), so it is shown here and left out of every per-resident comparison.
Compared with similar places · Over the years

No comparison or trend for Grafton yet

Every year of Grafton’s figures is a Census Bureau estimate: the city reported none of its dollars for 2022–2024. Estimates are shown above, labeled, but never ranked against places that reported or drawn as a trend.

How Town Hall compares budgets →
Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $413 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.55% of the home’s value, vs 0.53% across West Virginia.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

West Virginia$865
Grafton$413
$413
typical bill a year
0.55%
effective rate
$74,600
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Grafton’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 Grafton’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Grafton →

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Grafton

Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.

See graftonwv.org for Grafton’s current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Grafton yet.graftonwv.org ↗
Agendas

Grafton’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on graftonwv.org ↗.

Who works for Grafton

One full-time city employee for every 109 residents, not counting hospital, health & welfare staff

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 2024 finance file (4,588).

By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022

Sewer & trash12
Administration & buildings4 + 14 pt
Water & other utilities8
Fire6
Roads & transportation6
Police6
42
full-time
14
part-time
$138,682
payroll for March 2022
$1.7M
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$36,000
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
6
sworn police officers
6
full-time firefighters
Estimates.Grafton didn’t report its staff figures; these are the Census Bureau’s estimates, so they aren’t compared with other towns.

The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.

The school district

Taylor County School District

Grafton’s K–12 school district, shared with Flemington. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Grafton →
$16,389
per pupil · WV $15,637
2,164
students
$18.4 million
long-term debt

Of the $16,389 per pupil, $9,647 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.

The district: schools, scores and graduation →

Where the district’s money comes from
Local 32%State 45%Federal 23%

West Virginia districts overall: 36% local, 46% state, 18% federal.

School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.

Elections · 2024 general election

Grafton’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 Grafton alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Taylor County’s results.

President · Taylor County’s results7,265 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican74.6%5,422 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat23.3%1,694 votes

Others: 2.1% (149 votes).

Most votes in Taylor County: Donald J Trump

West Virginia: Trump 70.0%, Harris 28.1%

The county’s page

100% of Grafton lies in Taylor County. Every 2024 race in Taylor County is on the county’s page.

Taylor County’s 2024 results →
DemocratRepublicanLibertarianIndependent / other

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.

Who represents Grafton

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Grafton.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
  2. 2
    West Virginia House of DelegatesState representatives
  3. 3
    West Virginia SenateState senator
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of West Virginia

Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.

Reach Grafton’s government

The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Grafton’s government

How much does Grafton spend per resident?

About $1,023 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, a Census Bureau estimate (Grafton didn’t report its figures). With building projects and interest, the whole budget was about $29.8 million.

What is the property tax rate in Grafton?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $413 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.55% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.53% across West Virginia. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see graftonwv.org.

Who runs Grafton’s government?

See graftonwv.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Grafton yet.

How did Grafton vote in 2024?

West Virginia counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Grafton alone. Taylor County, where 100% of Grafton lies, voted Trump 74.6%, Harris 23.3% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Grafton?

42 full-time and 14 part-time employees in March 2022 (plus 0 full-time hospital, health & welfare staff), with a March payroll of $138,682 (about $1.7M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.

Who represents Grafton in the state legislature?

State Senate District 14 (Jay Taylor and Randy Smith) and House of Delegates District 73 (Bryan Smith). The House of Delegates district also covers 1 neighboring town. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Grafton’s government

Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.

Town Square →
Ask neighbors

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 (for Grafton, the Bureau’s estimates); 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 →