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Arkansas State Highway 154Photo: TBKS1 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Town Hall · Oppelo

Oppelo spent less per resident in 2022 than 82% of similar cities

Oppelo’s city government spent $116,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $155 per resident.

Election Day

Tomorrow

General election in Arkansas.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$116,000
year to December 31, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$155
In 2022: $155, less than 82% of 181 similar cities
Long-term debt
$1.7M
end of 2022, reported
City staff, 2022
6
full-time · 9 part-time · March payroll $21,789
Typical tax bill
$583
0.49% of home value · AR 0.55%

What stands out about how Oppelo is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

Compared with similar places

$155 per resident in 2022: less than 82% of them

Oppelo’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($155 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. Oppelo spent less than 82% of them.

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

Includes sewer and trash ($30,000), 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; Oppelo itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $155 per resident a year, or $0.42 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 43%.

Where the money comes from
Utility sales 30%From the federal government 25%Fees & charges 24%From the state 10%Property taxes 4%Sales taxes 3%Interest, fines & other 3%
Not in the receipt.Interest on debt $66,000. With these, the whole budget was $182,000.
Over the years

No trend yet

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

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $583 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.49% of the home’s value, vs 0.55% across Arkansas.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Arkansas$1,040
Oppelo$583
$583
typical bill a year
0.49%
effective rate
$118,900
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Oppelo

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

Check Oppelo’s own website for current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Oppelo yet.
Who works for Oppelo

One full-time city employee for every 125 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 (747).

By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022

Administration & buildings1 + 6 pt
Roads & transportation2
Sewer & trash2
Police1 + 1 pt
Water & other utilities0 + 2 pt
6
full-time
9
part-time
$21,789
payroll for March 2022
$261,468
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$32,700
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
1
sworn police officers
Compared, 2022.Oppelo had 8.0 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 146 of the 181 Arkansas cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 4.7: Oppelo had more than 69% of them. Same group and year as the budget comparison.

The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.

The school district

South Conway County School District

Oppelo’s K–12 school district, shared with Menifee, Morrilton, Plumerville. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Oppelo →
$13,105
per pupil · AR $13,585
2,353
students
$43.4 million
long-term debt

Of the $13,105 per pupil, $6,671 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 14%State 75%Federal 11%

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

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Oppelo’s votes are counted by county

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

President · Conway County’s results8,541 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican69.0%5,893 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat28.7%2,449 votes

Others: 2.3% (199 votes).

Most votes in Conway County: Donald J Trump

Arkansas: Trump 64.2%, Harris 33.6%

The county’s page

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

Conway 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 Oppelo

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Oppelo.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    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 Oppelo’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Oppelo’s government

How much does Oppelo spend per resident?

About $155 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 $155 was less than 82% of 181 Arkansas cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Oppelo?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $583 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.49% 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 Oppelo’s government?

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

How did Oppelo vote in 2024?

Arkansas counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Oppelo alone. Conway County, where 100% of Oppelo lies, voted Trump 69.0%, Harris 28.7% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Oppelo?

6 full-time and 9 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $21,789 (about $261,468 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Oppelo in the state legislature?

State Senate District 25 (Breanne Davis) and State House District 43 (Rick Beck). The House district also covers six other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Oppelo’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 →