Big Horn Academy Historic District · Photo: 25or6to4 · CC BY-SA 4.0Cowley spent less per resident in 2022 than 90% of similar cities
Cowley’s town government spent $893,000 on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2023, about $1,123 per resident. Water and other utilities ($160,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Cowley is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$865 per resident in 2022: less than 90% of them
Cowley’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($865 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 72 Wyoming cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,378, and the middle half spent $1,100–$1,807. Cowley spent less than 90% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($84,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Wyoming cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Cowley itself left out).
About $1,123 per resident a year, or $3.08 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 28%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 38% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Cowley 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: $865 · 2023: $1,123. Per resident it went from $865 to $1,123 (up 30%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 747 to 795.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $1,289 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.55% of the home’s value, vs 0.57% across Wyoming.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Cowley’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 Cowley’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Cowley →
Who’s in charge in Cowley
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Cowley’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on townofcowley.com ↗.
Big Horn County School District 1
Cowley’s K–12 school district, shared with Burlington, Byron, Deaver, Frannie. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $21,270 per pupil, $15,477 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.
Wyoming districts overall: 39% local, 45% state, 16% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Cowley’s votes are counted by county
Wyoming reports official results by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Cowley alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Big Horn County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican84.9%4,867 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat12.9%742 votesOthers: 2.2% (126 votes).
Most votes in Big Horn County: Donald J Trump
Wyoming: Trump 71.6%, Harris 25.8%
100% of Cowley lies in Big Horn County. Every 2024 race in Big Horn County is on the county’s page.
Big Horn 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 Cowley.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: townofcowley.com ↗
- 2Wyoming HouseState representatives
- 3Wyoming SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Wyoming
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
Reach Cowley’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Cowley’s government
How much does Cowley spend per resident?
About $1,123 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2023, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $865 was less than 90% of 72 Wyoming cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Cowley?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,289 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.55% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.57% across Wyoming. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see townofcowley.com.
Who runs Cowley’s government?
See townofcowley.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Cowley yet.
How did Cowley vote in 2024?
Wyoming counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Cowley alone. Big Horn County, where 100% of Cowley lies, voted Trump 84.9%, Harris 12.9% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Cowley?
0 full-time and 6 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $3,157 (about $37,884 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Cowley in the state legislature?
State Senate District 19 (Dan Laursen) and State House District 26 (Dalton Banks). The House district also covers six other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Cowley’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 →