Photo: Brandonrush · CC BY-SA 4.0Fairfield Bay spent more per resident in 2022 than 90% of similar cities
Fairfield Bay’s city government spent $2 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $928 per resident.
What stands out about how Fairfield Bay is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$928 per resident in 2022: more than 90% of them
Fairfield Bay’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($928 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. Fairfield Bay spent more than 90% 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; Fairfield Bay itself left out).
About $928 per resident a year, or $2.54 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 51%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Fairfield Bay reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $886 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 Fairfield Bay’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 Fairfield Bay’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Fairfield Bay →
Who’s in charge in Fairfield Bay
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time city employee for every 70 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 (2,179).
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.
Shirley School District
Fairfield Bay’s K–12 school district, shared with Shirley. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $17,686 per pupil, $9,587 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.
West Side School District · $16,778 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Fairfield Bay’s votes are counted by county
Arkansas reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Fairfield Bay alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Van Buren County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican79.0%6,023 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat18.9%1,437 votesOthers: 2.1% (161 votes).
Most votes in Van Buren County: Donald J Trump
Arkansas: Trump 64.2%, Harris 33.6%
92% of Fairfield Bay lies in Van Buren County; the rest in Cleburne County. Every 2024 race in Van Buren County is on the county’s page.
Van Buren 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 Fairfield Bay.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 2Arkansas HouseFairfield Bay is split between 3 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.
Reach Fairfield Bay’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Fairfield Bay’s government
How much does Fairfield Bay spend per resident?
About $928 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 $928 was more than 90% of 181 Arkansas cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Fairfield Bay?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $886 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 the city’s assessor.
Who runs Fairfield Bay’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Fairfield Bay yet.
How did Fairfield Bay vote in 2024?
Arkansas counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Fairfield Bay alone. Van Buren County, where 92% of Fairfield Bay lies, voted Trump 79.0%, Harris 18.9% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Fairfield Bay?
31 full-time and 9 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $85,265 (about $1.0M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Fairfield Bay in the state legislature?
Fairfield Bay is split among 3 State House districts, so your address decides. The Arkansas Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Its State Senate district is District 24 (Missy Irvin). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Fairfield Bay’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 →