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Town Hall · Thorsby

Thorsby spent more per resident in 2022 than 66% of similar cities

Thorsby’s town government spent $1.3 million on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2023, about $642 per resident. Water and other utilities ($768,000) are counted separately.

Day-to-day spending, 2023
$1.3M
year to September 30, 2023
Per resident, 2023
$642
In 2022: $613, more than 66% of 109 similar cities
Long-term debt
$1.1M
end of FY2023, reported
Town staff, 2022
16
full-time · 22 part-time · March payroll $71,244
Typical tax bill
$729
0.39% of home value · AL 0.38%

What stands out about how Thorsby is run

Read from the town’s budget and official records.

Compared with similar places

$613 per resident in 2022: more than 66% of them

Thorsby’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($613 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 109 Alabama cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $425, and the middle half spent $186–$735. Thorsby spent more than 66% of them.

Middle half of the group, $186–$735Median $425Thorsby

Includes sewer and trash ($267,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →

The group
109

Alabama cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Thorsby itself left out).

Your share of the 2023 budget

About $642 per resident a year, or $1.76 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 45%.

Where the money comes from
Utility sales 38%Sales taxes 29%Fees & charges 13%Other taxes & licenses 12%Property taxes 8%Interest, fines & other 1%
Not in the receipt.Interest on debt $47,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $2.2 million.
Over the years

Day-to-day spending is up 6% since 2022

Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Thorsby reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.

Day-to-day spending by fiscal year

2022$1.3 million
2023$1.3 million

Per resident: 2022: $613 · 2023: $642.

Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $729 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.39% of the home’s value, vs 0.38% across Alabama.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Alabama$788
Thorsby$729
$729
typical bill a year
0.39%
effective rate
$188,300
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Thorsby’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 Thorsby’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Thorsby →

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Thorsby

Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.

Check Thorsby’s own website for current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Thorsby yet.
Who works for Thorsby

One full-time town employee for every 131 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 (2,093).

By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022

Fire0 + 13 pt
Police6 + 1 pt
Administration & buildings1 + 6 pt
Water & other utilities4
Roads & transportation3
Sewer & trash2
Courts, inspections & corrections0 + 2 pt
16
full-time
22
part-time
$71,244
payroll for March 2022
$854,928
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$50,000
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
6
sworn police officers
Compared, 2022.Thorsby had 7.7 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 87 of the 109 Alabama cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 5.7: Thorsby had more than 62% of them. Same group and year as the budget comparison.

The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.

The school district

Chilton County School District

Thorsby’s K–12 school district, shared with Clanton, Jemison, Maplesville. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Thorsby →
$11,468
per pupil · AL $13,926
7,930
students
$2 million
long-term debt

Of the $11,468 per pupil, $6,544 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.

The district: schools, scores and graduation →

Where the district’s money comes from
Local 19%State 62%Federal 18%

Alabama districts overall: 31% local, 53% state, 16% federal.

School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.

Elections · 2024 general election

Thorsby’s votes are counted by county

Alabama reports official results by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Thorsby alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Chilton County’s results.

President · Chilton County’s results19,763 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican85.6%16,920 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat13.7%2,698 votes

Others: 0.7% (145 votes).

Most votes in Chilton County: Donald J Trump

Alabama: Trump 64.6%, Harris 34.1%

The county’s page

100% of Thorsby lies in Chilton County. Every 2024 race in Chilton County is on the county’s page.

Chilton County’s 2024 results →
DemocratRepublicanLibertarianIndependent / other

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.

Who represents Thorsby

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Thorsby.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your townTown government
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  2. 2
    Alabama HouseState representatives
  3. 3
    Alabama SenateState senator
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Alabama

Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.

Reach Thorsby’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Thorsby’s government

How much does Thorsby spend per resident?

About $642 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 $613 was more than 66% of 109 Alabama cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Thorsby?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $729 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.39% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.38% across Alabama. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the town’s assessor.

Who runs Thorsby’s government?

We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Thorsby yet.

How did Thorsby vote in 2024?

Alabama counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Thorsby alone. Chilton County, where 100% of Thorsby lies, voted Trump 85.6%, Harris 13.7% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Thorsby?

16 full-time and 22 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $71,244 (about $854,928 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Thorsby in the state legislature?

State Senate District 14 (April Weaver) and State House District 42 (Van Smith). The House district also covers five other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Thorsby’s government

Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.

Town Square →
Ask neighbors

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 →