How is Barling run?
Barling’s city government spent $3.2 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $640 per resident. These are Census Bureau estimates: Barling didn’t report its figures, so this page shows them without comparisons.
What stands out about how Barling is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
About $640 per resident a year, or $1.75 a day
Day-to-day services only (a Census Bureau estimate). The biggest line: police, at 29%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Barling didn’t report all of its 2022 figures to the Census Bureau, so most of these numbers are the Bureau’s estimates.
No comparison or trend for Barling yet
Every year of Barling’s figures is a Census Bureau estimate: the city reported none of its dollars for 2022. Estimates are shown above, labeled, but never ranked against places that reported or drawn as a trend.
How Town Hall compares budgets →The typical homeowner pays $1,143 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.82% 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 Barling’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 Barling’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Barling →
Who’s in charge in Barling
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time city employee for every 163 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (5,064).
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.
Fort Smith Public Schools
Barling’s K–12 school district, shared with Fort Smith. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $13,857 per pupil, $6,938 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.
Lavaca Public Schools · $12,750 per pupil
Greenwood School District · $11,668 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Barling’s votes are counted by county
Arkansas reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Barling alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Sebastian County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican67.6%30,719 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat30.0%13,652 votesOthers: 2.4% (1,081 votes).
Most votes in Sebastian County: Donald J Trump
Arkansas: Trump 64.2%, Harris 33.6%
100% of Barling lies in Sebastian County. Every 2024 race in Sebastian County is on the county’s page.
Sebastian 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 Barling.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 2Arkansas HouseBarling 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 Barling compares with the towns next door
Barling’s own figures are Census estimates, so it isn’t placed among its neighbors. 2 of the 2 towns next door reported 2022 figures, from $545 to $1,014 per resident. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Central City | $545 | $800 |
| Fort Smith | $1,014 | $1,137 |
| Barling | estimate | $1,143 |
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 Barling’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Barling’s government
How much does Barling spend per resident?
About $640 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, a Census Bureau estimate (Barling didn’t report its figures). With building projects and interest, the whole budget was about $4.8 million.
What is the property tax rate in Barling?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,143 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.82% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.55% across Arkansas. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the city’s assessor.
Who runs Barling’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Barling yet.
How did Barling vote in 2024?
Arkansas counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Barling alone. Sebastian County, where 100% of Barling lies, voted Trump 67.6%, Harris 30.0% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Barling?
31 full-time and 1 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $130,283 (about $1.6M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Barling in the state legislature?
Barling is split among 2 State House districts and 2 State Senate districts, so your address decides. The Arkansas Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Barling’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 (for Barling, the Bureau’s estimates); 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 →