Photo: formulanone · CC BY-SA 2.0Arab spent less per resident in 2022 than 68% of similar cities
Arab’s city government spent $6 million on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2023, about $707 per resident. Water and other utilities ($4.1 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Arab is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$723 per resident in 2022: less than 68% of them
Arab’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($723 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 47 Alabama cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $994, and the middle half spent $608–$1,480. Arab spent less than 68% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($1.9 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 →
Alabama cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Arab itself left out).
About $707 per resident a year, or $1.94 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 34%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is down 1% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Arab 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: $723 · 2023: $707.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $768 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.36% of the home’s value, vs 0.38% across Alabama.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Arab’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 Arab’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Arab →
Who’s in charge in Arab
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Arab’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on arabcity.org ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 61 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2023 finance file (8,498).
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.
Arab City School District
Arab’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $12,313 per pupil, $7,022 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.
Alabama districts overall: 31% local, 53% state, 16% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Arab’s votes are counted by county
Alabama reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Arab alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Marshall County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican85.3%34,434 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat13.7%5,553 votesOthers: 1.0% (401 votes).
Most votes in Marshall County: Donald J Trump
Alabama: Trump 64.6%, Harris 34.1%
100% of Arab lies in Marshall County; the rest in Cullman 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 Arab.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: arabcity.org ↗
- 2Alabama HouseState representatives
- 3Alabama SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Alabama
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
Reach Arab’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Arab’s government
How much does Arab spend per resident?
About $707 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2023, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $723 was less than 68% of 47 Alabama cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Arab?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $768 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.36% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.38% across Alabama. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see arabcity.org.
Who runs Arab’s government?
See arabcity.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Arab yet.
How did Arab vote in 2024?
Alabama counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Arab alone. Marshall County, where 100% of Arab lies, voted Trump 85.3%, Harris 13.7% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Arab?
139 full-time and 38 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $597,511 (about $7.2M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Arab in the state legislature?
State Senate District 9 (Wes Kitchens) and State House District 27 (Jeana Ross). The House district also covers three neighboring towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Arab’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 →