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Palestine AR 002Photo: Thomas R Machnitzki ([email protected]) · CC BY 3.0
Town Hall · Palestine

Palestine spent more per resident in 2022 than 97% of similar cities

Palestine’s city government spent $1 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $1,814 per resident. Water and other utilities ($456,000) are counted separately.

Election Day

Today

General election in Arkansas.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$1.0M
year to December 31, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$1,814
In 2022: $1,814, more than 97% of 181 similar cities
Long-term debt
$723,000
end of 2022, reported
City staff, 2025
2
full-time · 13 part-time · March payroll $17,596
Typical tax bill
$434
0.64% of home value · AR 0.55%

What stands out about how Palestine is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

Spends more than most similar citiesIn 2022: $1,814 per resident, more than 97% of 181 similar cities.Runs its own water & sewer43% of day-to-day spending goes to water, sewer and trash (2022).A shared school districtShares Palestine-Wheatley School District with 1 other town.Low bills, a higher rateThe typical bill is $434 a year: 0.64% of the home’s value, vs 0.55% across Arkansas.
Compared with similar places

$1,814 per resident in 2022: more than 97% of them

Palestine’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,814 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. Palestine spent more than 97% of them.

Middle half of the group, $179–$636Median $353Palestine

Includes sewer and trash ($185,000), 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; Palestine itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $1,814 per resident a year, or $4.97 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 22%.

Where the money comes from
Utility sales 35%Sales taxes 28%Fees & charges 12%From other local governments 10%From the state 10%Interest, fines & other 4%Property taxes 1%Other taxes & licenses <1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $57,000; interest on debt $23,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $1.6 million.
Over the years

No trend yet

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

City staff
2

full-time in March 2025, down from 6 in 2022.

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $434 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.64% of the home’s value, vs 0.55% across Arkansas.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Arkansas$1,040
Palestine$434
$434
typical bill a year
0.64%
effective rate
$67,900
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Palestine

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

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

One full-time city employee for every 282 residents

On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (564).

By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025

Police0 + 9 pt
Administration & buildings1 + 2 pt
Fire0 + 2 pt
Roads & transportation1
2
full-time
13
part-time
$17,596
payroll for March 2025
$211,152
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$29,400
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
Compared, 2022.Palestine had 10.6 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: Palestine had more than 84% 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

Palestine-Wheatley School District

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

Schools in Palestine →
$11,880
per pupil · AR $13,585
815
students
$5.8 million
long-term debt

Of the $11,880 per pupil, $6,728 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 9%State 77%Federal 14%

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

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Palestine’s votes are counted by county

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

President · St. Francis County’s results5,979 votes · results as certified
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat49.4%2,953 votes
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican48.7%2,909 votes

Others: 2.0% (117 votes).

Most votes in St. Francis County: Kamala D Harris

Arkansas: Trump 64.2%, Harris 33.6%

The county’s page

100% of Palestine lies in St. Francis County. Every 2024 race in St. Francis County is on the county’s page.

St. Francis 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 Palestine

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Palestine.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  2. 2
    Arkansas HouseState representatives
    Steve Hollowell
  3. 3
    Arkansas SenateState senator
    Ron Caldwell
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
    Sarah Huckabee Sanders
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
    Eric A. "Rick" Crawford
  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 Palestine’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Palestine’s government

How much does Palestine spend per resident?

About $1,814 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 $1,814 was more than 97% of 181 Arkansas cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Palestine?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $434 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.64% 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 Palestine’s government?

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

How did Palestine vote in 2024?

Arkansas counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Palestine alone. St. Francis County, where 100% of Palestine lies, voted Harris 49.4%, Trump 48.7% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Palestine?

2 full-time and 13 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $17,596 (about $211,152 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Palestine in the state legislature?

State Senate District 10 (Ron Caldwell) and State House District 37 (Steve Hollowell). The House district also covers 12 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Palestine’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 →