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Chester Arkansas signPhoto: w:Flickr user David Rosen (https://www.flickr.com/people/dnszero/) · CC BY-SA 2.0
Town Hall · Chester

Chester spent less per resident in 2022 than 87% of similar cities

Chester’s town government spent $18,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $113 per resident. Water and other utilities ($6,000) are counted separately.

Day-to-day spending, 2022
$18,000
year to December 31, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$113
In 2022: $113, less than 87% of 181 similar cities
Long-term debt
$27,000
end of 2022, reported
Town staff, 2022
0
full-time · 11 part-time · March payroll $1,353

What stands out about how Chester is run

Read from the town’s budget and official records.

Spends less than most similar citiesIn 2022: $113 per resident, less than 87% of 181 similar cities.Runs its own water & sewer24% of day-to-day spending goes to water, sewer and trash (2022).A shared school districtShares Mountainburg Schools with 1 other town.
Compared with similar places

$113 per resident in 2022: less than 87% of them

Chester’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($113 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 $356, and the middle half spent $179–$644. Chester spent less than 87% of them.

Middle half of the group, $179–$644Median $356Chester

Includes sewer and trash ($2,000), 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
181

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

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $113 per resident a year, or $0.31 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 61%.

Where the money comes from
From the state 62%Utility sales 17%Interest, fines & other 17%From other local governments 3%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $3,000; interest on debt $1,000; payments to other governments $7,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $44,000.
Over the years

No trend yet

Chester reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Chester

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

Check Chester’s own website for current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Chester yet.
The school district

Mountainburg Schools

Chester’s K–12 school district, shared with Mountainburg. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Chester →
$14,476
per pupil · AR $13,585
592
students
$9.5 million
long-term debt

Of the $14,476 per pupil, $7,252 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 10%State 64%Federal 26%

Arkansas districts overall: 16% local, 70% state, 14% federal.

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Chester’s votes are counted by county

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

President · Crawford County’s results23,834 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican78.1%18,615 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat19.9%4,753 votes

Others: 2.0% (466 votes).

Most votes in Crawford County: Donald J Trump

Arkansas: Trump 64.2%, Harris 33.6%

The county’s page

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

Crawford 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 Chester

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Chester.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your townTown government
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  2. 2
    Arkansas HouseState representatives
    Chad Puryear
  3. 3
    Arkansas SenateState senator
    Jim Petty
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
    Sarah Huckabee Sanders
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
    Steve Womack
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Arkansas
    John BoozmanTom Cotton

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

Reach Chester’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Chester’s government

How much does Chester spend per resident?

About $113 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 $113 was less than 87% of 181 Arkansas cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

Who runs Chester’s government?

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

How did Chester vote in 2024?

Arkansas counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Chester alone. Crawford County, where 100% of Chester lies, voted Trump 78.1%, Harris 19.9% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Chester?

0 full-time and 11 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $1,353 (about $16,236 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Chester in the state legislature?

State Senate District 29 (Jim Petty) and State House District 25 (Chad Puryear). The House district also covers six other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Chester’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 →