Ash Flat spent more per resident in 2022 than 96% of similar cities
Ash Flat’s city government spent $1.6 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $1,436 per resident. Water and other utilities ($329,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Ash Flat is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,436 per resident in 2022: more than 96% of them
Ash Flat’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,436 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 181 Arkansas cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $353, and the middle half spent $179–$636. Ash Flat spent more than 96% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($147,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Arkansas cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Ash Flat itself left out).
About $1,436 per resident a year, or $3.93 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 30%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Ash Flat reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $506 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.54% of the home’s value, vs 0.55% across Arkansas.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Ash Flat’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 Ash Flat’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Ash Flat →
Who’s in charge in Ash Flat
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Ash Flat’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on ashflat-ar.org ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 58 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (1,100).
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.
Highland School District
Ash Flat’s K–12 school district, shared with Cherokee Village, Hardy, Highland, Williford. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $14,274 per pupil, $7,954 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.
Arkansas districts overall: 16% local, 70% state, 14% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Ash Flat’s votes are counted by county
Arkansas reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Ash Flat alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Sharp County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican80.4%5,978 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat17.7%1,316 votesOthers: 1.9% (143 votes).
Most votes in Sharp County: Donald J Trump
Arkansas: Trump 64.2%, Harris 33.6%
91% of Ash Flat lies in Sharp County; the rest in Fulton County. Every 2024 race in Sharp County is on the county’s page.
Sharp 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 Ash Flat.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: ashflat-ar.org ↗
- 2Arkansas HouseAsh Flat is split between 2 districts
- 3Arkansas SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Arkansas
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Ash Flat compares with the towns next door
Ash Flat spent $1,436 per resident in 2022. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Cherokee Village | estimate | $718 |
| Ash Flat | $1,436 | $506 |
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 Ash Flat’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Ash Flat’s government
How much does Ash Flat spend per resident?
About $1,436 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,436 was more than 96% of 181 Arkansas cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Ash Flat?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $506 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.54% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.55% across Arkansas. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see ashflat-ar.org.
Who runs Ash Flat’s government?
See ashflat-ar.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Ash Flat yet.
How did Ash Flat vote in 2024?
Arkansas counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Ash Flat alone. Sharp County, where 91% of Ash Flat lies, voted Trump 80.4%, Harris 17.7% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Ash Flat?
19 full-time and 4 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $63,576 (about $762,912 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Ash Flat in the state legislature?
Ash Flat is split among 2 State House districts, so your address decides. The Arkansas Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Its State Senate district is District 22 (John Payton). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Ash Flat’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 →