McMechen Lockmaster Houses on the Ohio River · Photo: Nyttend · Public domainMcMechen spent more per resident in 2022 than 72% of similar cities
McMechen’s city government spent $1.5 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $927 per resident. That is its newest year reported to the Census Bureau. Water and other utilities ($260,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how McMechen is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$927 per resident in 2022: more than 72% of them
McMechen’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($927 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. McMechen spent more than 72% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($281,000), 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; McMechen itself left out).
About $927 per resident a year, or $2.54 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 30%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
McMechen reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau (2023 is an estimate), so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $639 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 McMechen’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 McMechen’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in McMechen →
Who’s in charge in McMechen
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
McMechen’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on local.wv.gov/mcmechen ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 104 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 (1,665).
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.
Marshall County School District
McMechen’s K–12 school district, shared with Benwood, Cameron, Glen Dale, Moundsville. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $20,265 per pupil, $11,605 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.
McMechen’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 McMechen alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Marshall County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican74.1%9,808 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat24.1%3,186 votesOthers: 1.8% (239 votes).
Most votes in Marshall County: Donald J Trump
West Virginia: Trump 70.0%, Harris 28.1%
100% of McMechen lies in Marshall County. Every 2024 race in Marshall County is on the county’s page.
Marshall 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 McMechen.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: local.wv.gov/mcmechen ↗
- 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 McMechen compares with the towns next door
McMechen spent $927 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Benwood | estimate | $394 |
| McMechen | $927 | $639 |
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 McMechen’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about McMechen’s government
How much does McMechen spend per resident?
About $927 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 $927 was more than 72% of 114 West Virginia cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in McMechen?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $639 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 local.wv.gov/mcmechen.
Who runs McMechen’s government?
See local.wv.gov/mcmechen for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for McMechen yet.
How did McMechen vote in 2024?
West Virginia counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for McMechen alone. Marshall County, where 100% of McMechen lies, voted Trump 74.1%, Harris 24.1% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for McMechen?
16 full-time and 3 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $66,781 (about $801,372 a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents McMechen in the state legislature?
State Senate District 2 (Charles Clements and Chris Rose) and House of Delegates District 6 (Jeff Stephens). The House of Delegates district also covers four other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about McMechen’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 →