Central City spent more per resident in 2022 than 66% of similar cities
Central City’s city government spent $271,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $545 per resident. That is its newest year reported to the Census Bureau. Water and other utilities ($186,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Central City is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$545 per resident in 2022: more than 66% of them
Central City’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($545 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–$644. Central City spent more than 66% of 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; Central City itself left out).
About $545 per resident a year, or $1.49 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 36%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Central City reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau (2024 is an estimate), so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $800 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.59% 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 Central City’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 Central City’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Central City →
Who’s in charge in Central City
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time city employee for every 166 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 (497).
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.
Lavaca Public Schools
Central City’s K–12 school district, shared with Lavaca, Barling. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $12,750 per pupil, $7,413 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.
Central City’s votes are counted by county
Arkansas reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Central City 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 Central City 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 Central City.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 2Arkansas HouseState representatives
- 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 Central City compares with the towns next door
Central City spent $545 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Barling | estimate | $1,143 |
| Central City | $545 | $800 |
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 Central City’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Central City’s government
How much does Central City spend per resident?
About $545 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 $545 was more than 66% of 181 Arkansas cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Central City?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $800 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.59% 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 Central City’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Central City yet.
How did Central City vote in 2024?
Arkansas counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Central City alone. Sebastian County, where 100% of Central City lies, voted Trump 67.6%, Harris 30.0% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Central City?
3 full-time and 20 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $26,169 (about $314,028 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Central City in the state legislature?
State Senate District 26 (Brad Simon) and State House District 47 (Lee Johnson). The House district also covers seven other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Central City’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 →