Photo: Prussian_Fool · CC BY-SA 4.0Dothan spent more per resident in 2022 than 81% of similar cities
Dothan’s city government spent $168 million on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2024, about $2,358 per resident. Water and other utilities ($92.3 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Dothan is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,628 per resident in 2022: more than 81% of them
Dothan’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,628 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 16 Alabama cities of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,344, and the middle half spent $1,061–$1,454. Dothan spent more than 81% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($36.9 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 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Dothan itself left out).
About $2,358 per resident a year, or $6.46 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 23%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 49% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Dothan 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: $1,628 · 2023: $1,948 · 2024: $2,358.
full-time in March 2025, up from 997 in 2022.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $606 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.31% 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 Dothan’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 Dothan’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Dothan →
Who’s in charge in Dothan
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Dothan’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on dothan.org ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 66 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (71,235).
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.
Dothan City School District
Dothan’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $14,245 per pupil, $7,316 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.
Dothan’s votes are counted by county
Alabama reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Dothan alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Houston County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican73.2%32,469 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat25.6%11,352 votesOthers: 1.2% (528 votes).
Most votes in Houston County: Donald J Trump
Alabama: Trump 64.6%, Harris 34.1%
98% of Dothan lies in Houston County; the rest in Dale County, Henry County. Every 2024 race in Houston County is on the county’s page.
Houston 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
Dothan sends 4 representatives to the Alabama House alone.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: dothan.org ↗
- 2Alabama HouseDothan is split between 4 districts
- 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.
How Dothan compares with the towns next door
Dothan spent $1,628 per resident in 2022; the 5 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $206 to $1,278. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Webb | $206 | $351 |
| Rehobeth | $317 | $762 |
| Taylor | $459 | $322 |
| Midland City | $682 | $423 |
| Headland | $1,278 | $873 |
| Kinsey | estimate | $391 |
| Napier Field | estimate | $274 |
| Cowarts | estimate | $379 |
| Grimes | estimate | $315 |
| Dothan | $1,628 | $606 |
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 Dothan’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Dothan’s government
How much does Dothan spend per resident?
About $2,358 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,628 was more than 81% of 16 Alabama cities of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Dothan?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $606 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.31% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.38% across Alabama. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see dothan.org.
Who runs Dothan’s government?
See dothan.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Dothan yet.
How did Dothan vote in 2024?
Alabama counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Dothan alone. Houston County, where 98% of Dothan lies, voted Trump 73.2%, Harris 25.6% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Dothan?
1,073 full-time and 173 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $6.1M (about $73.7M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Dothan in the state legislature?
Dothan is split among 4 State House districts and 2 State Senate districts, so your address decides. The Alabama Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Dothan’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 →