Photo: WeaponizingArchitecture · CC BY-SA 4.0Wheeling spent more per resident in 2022 than 99% of similar cities
Wheeling’s city government spent $92.6 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $3,507 per resident. Water and other utilities ($7.2 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Wheeling is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$3,223 per resident in 2022: more than 99% of them
Wheeling’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($3,223 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 138 West Virginia cities that don’t run their own schools: the median was $725, and the middle half spent $386–$1,154. Wheeling spent more than 99% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($7.5 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 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Wheeling itself left out).
About $3,507 per resident a year, or $9.61 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: parks & libraries, at 53%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 9% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Wheeling 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: $3,223 · 2023: $3,540 · 2024: $3,507.
full-time in March 2025, down from 665 in 2022. Both are Census estimates.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $917 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.63% 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 Wheeling’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 Wheeling’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Wheeling →
Who’s in charge in Wheeling
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Wheeling’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on wheelingwv.gov ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 42 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (26,391).
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.
Ohio County School District
Wheeling’s K–12 school district, shared with Bethlehem, Clearview, Triadelphia, Valley Grove, West Liberty. 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.
Wheeling’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 Wheeling 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%
99% of Wheeling lies in Ohio County; the rest in Marshall 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
Wheeling sends 4 representatives to the West Virginia House alone.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: wheelingwv.gov ↗
- 2West Virginia House of DelegatesWheeling is split between 4 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 Wheeling compares with the towns next door
Wheeling spent $3,223 per resident in 2022; the 3 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $432 to $837. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Clearview | $432 | $1,267 |
| Bethlehem | $766 | $1,150 |
| Triadelphia | $837 | $514 |
| Benwood | estimate | $394 |
| Wheeling | $3,223 | $917 |
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 Wheeling’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Wheeling’s government
How much does Wheeling spend per resident?
About $3,507 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 $3,223 was more than 99% of 138 West Virginia cities that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Wheeling?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $917 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.63% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.53% across West Virginia. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see wheelingwv.gov.
Who runs Wheeling’s government?
See wheelingwv.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Wheeling yet.
How did Wheeling vote in 2024?
West Virginia counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Wheeling alone. Ohio County, where 99% of Wheeling lies, voted Trump 62.0%, Harris 36.0% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Wheeling?
623 full-time and 473 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $3.4M (about $41.0M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Wheeling in the state legislature?
Wheeling is split among 4 House of Delegates districts, so your address decides. The West Virginia Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Its State Senate district is District 1 (Laura Chapman and Ryan Weld). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Wheeling’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 →