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Huddleston Store and McKinzie StoreHuddleston Store and McKinzie Store · Photo: Valis55 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Town Hall · Oden

Oden spent less per resident in 2022 than 81% of similar cities

Oden’s town government spent $34,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $158 per resident. Water and other utilities ($112,000) are counted separately.

Election Day

Tomorrow

General election in Arkansas.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$34,000
year to December 31, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$158
In 2022: $158, less than 81% of 181 similar cities
Long-term debt
$44,000
end of 2022, reported
Town staff, 2022
0
full-time · 8 part-time · March payroll $1,560
Typical tax bill
$325
0.30% of home value · AR 0.55%

What stands out about how Oden is run

Read from the town’s budget and official records.

Compared with similar places

$158 per resident in 2022: less than 81% of them

Oden’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($158 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. Oden spent less than 81% of them.

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

Includes sewer and trash ($17,000), 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; Oden itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $158 per resident a year, or $0.43 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 50%.

Where the money comes from
Utility sales 65%From the state 22%From the federal government 11%From other local governments 1%Interest, fines & other <1%
Not in the receipt.Interest on debt $3,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $149,000.
Over the years

No trend yet

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

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $325 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.30% of the home’s value, vs 0.55% across Arkansas.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Arkansas$1,040
Oden$325
$325
typical bill a year
0.30%
effective rate
$108,300
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Oden’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 Oden’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Oden →

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Oden

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

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

Ouachita River School District

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

Schools in Oden →
$13,092
per pupil · AR $13,585
758
students
$1.4 million
long-term debt

Of the $13,092 per pupil, $6,760 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 73%Federal 16%

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

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Oden’s votes are counted by county

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

President · Montgomery County’s results3,707 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican80.6%2,987 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat17.4%645 votes

Others: 2.0% (75 votes).

Most votes in Montgomery County: Donald J Trump

Arkansas: Trump 64.2%, Harris 33.6%

The county’s page

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

Montgomery 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 Oden

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Oden.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your townTown government
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  2. 2
    Arkansas HouseState representatives
  3. 3
    Arkansas SenateState senator
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Arkansas

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

Reach Oden’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Oden’s government

How much does Oden spend per resident?

About $158 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 $158 was less than 81% of 181 Arkansas cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Oden?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $325 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.30% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.55% across Arkansas. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the town’s assessor.

Who runs Oden’s government?

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

How did Oden vote in 2024?

Arkansas counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Oden alone. Montgomery County, where 100% of Oden lies, voted Trump 80.6%, Harris 17.4% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Oden?

0 full-time and 8 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $1,560 (about $18,720 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Oden in the state legislature?

State Senate District 5 (Terry Rice) and State House District 86 (John Maddox). The House district also covers 10 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Oden’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 →