Opal spent less per resident in 2022 than 85% of similar cities
Opal’s town government spent $181,000 on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $2,828 per resident. Water and other utilities ($45,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Opal is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$1,000 per resident in 2022: less than 85% of them
Opal’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,000 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. Opal spent less than 85% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($20,000), 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; Opal itself left out).
About $2,828 per resident a year, or $7.75 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 80%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 66% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Opal 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: $1,000 · 2024: $2,828. Per resident it went from $1,000 to $2,828 (up 183%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 109 to 64.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $340 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.32% 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 Opal’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 Opal’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Opal →
Who’s in charge in Opal
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Lincoln County School District 1
Opal’s K–12 school district, shared with Diamondville, Kemmerer. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $20,977 per pupil, $11,836 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.
Opal’s votes are counted by county
Wyoming reports official results by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Opal alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Lincoln County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican82.6%8,957 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat15.0%1,623 votesOthers: 2.4% (260 votes).
Most votes in Lincoln County: Donald J Trump
Wyoming: Trump 71.6%, Harris 25.8%
100% of Opal lies in Lincoln County. Every 2024 race in Lincoln County is on the county’s page.
Lincoln 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 Opal.
- 1Your townTown governmentLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 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 Opal’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Opal’s government
How much does Opal spend per resident?
About $2,828 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 $1,000 was less than 85% of 72 Wyoming cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Opal?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $340 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.32% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.57% across Wyoming. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the town’s assessor.
Who runs Opal’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Opal yet.
How did Opal vote in 2024?
Wyoming counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Opal alone. Lincoln County, where 100% of Opal lies, voted Trump 82.6%, Harris 15.0% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Opal?
0 full-time and 10 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $3,999 (about $47,988 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Opal in the state legislature?
State Senate District 14 (Laura Pearson) and State House District 18 (Scott Heiner). The House district also covers seven other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Opal’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 →