Photo: Ardelta · CC BY-SA 4.0Forrest City spent more per resident in 2022 than 67% of similar cities
Forrest City’s city government spent $14.7 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, about $1,156 per resident. Water and other utilities ($2.3 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Forrest City is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$955 per resident in 2022: more than 67% of them
Forrest City’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($955 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 55 Arkansas cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $819, and the middle half spent $612–$1,063. Forrest City spent more than 67% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($2.6 million), 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 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Forrest City itself left out).
About $1,156 per resident a year, or $3.17 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 25%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 12% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Forrest City reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.
Day-to-day spending by fiscal year
Per resident: 2022: $955 · 2023: $1,175 · 2024: $1,156. Per resident it went from $955 to $1,156 (up 21%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 13,654 to 12,676.
full-time in March 2025, down from 162 in 2022. Both are Census estimates.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $484 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.53% 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 Forrest 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.
Tax bills are one input to Forrest City’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Forrest City →
Who’s in charge in Forrest City
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Forrest City’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on cityofforrestcityar.com ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 79 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (12,676).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Forrest City School District
Forrest City’s K–12 school district, shared with Caldwell, Colt, Madison, Widener. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $13,567 per pupil, $6,740 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.
Forrest 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 Forrest City alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are St. Francis County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat49.4%2,953 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican48.7%2,909 votesOthers: 2.0% (117 votes).
Most votes in St. Francis County: Kamala D Harris
Arkansas: Trump 64.2%, Harris 33.6%
100% of Forrest City lies in St. Francis County. Every 2024 race in St. Francis County is on the county’s page.
St. Francis 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 Forrest City.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: cityofforrestcityar.com ↗
- 2Arkansas HouseForrest City 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 Forrest City compares with the towns next door
Forrest City spent $955 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Caldwell | estimate | $575 |
| Forrest City | $955 | $484 |
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 Forrest City’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Forrest City’s government
How much does Forrest City spend per resident?
About $1,156 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $955 was more than 67% of 55 Arkansas cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Forrest City?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $484 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.53% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.55% across Arkansas. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cityofforrestcityar.com.
Who runs Forrest City’s government?
See cityofforrestcityar.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Forrest City yet.
How did Forrest City vote in 2024?
Arkansas counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Forrest City alone. St. Francis County, where 100% of Forrest City lies, voted Harris 49.4%, Trump 48.7% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Forrest City?
161 full-time and 37 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $686,288 (about $8.2M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Forrest City in the state legislature?
Forrest City 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 Forrest 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 →