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Perry Rock Island Railroad DepotPerry Rock Island Railroad Depot · Photo: Hibblen · CC BY-SA 4.0
Town Hall · Perry

Perry spent more per resident in 2022 than 68% of similar cities

Perry’s town government spent $162,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $581 per resident. Water and other utilities ($66,000) are counted separately.

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Today

General election in Arkansas.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$162,000
year to December 31, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$581
In 2022: $581, more than 68% of 181 similar cities
Long-term debt
$451,000
end of 2022, reported
Town staff, 2022
1
full-time · 20 part-time · March payroll $16,615
Typical tax bill
$351
0.48% of home value · AR 0.55%

What stands out about how Perry is run

Read from the town’s budget and official records.

Spends more than most similar citiesIn 2022: $581 per resident, more than 68% of 181 similar cities.Runs its own water & sewer58% of day-to-day spending goes to water, sewer and trash (2022).A shared school districtShares Two Rivers School District with 3 other towns.Lower tax billsThe typical bill is $351 a year: 0.48% of the home’s value, vs 0.55% across Arkansas.
Compared with similar places

$581 per resident in 2022: more than 68% of them

Perry’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($581 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–$644. Perry spent more than 68% of them.

Middle half of the group, $179–$644Median $353Perry

Includes sewer and trash ($66,000), 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; Perry itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $581 per resident a year, or $1.59 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 41%.

Where the money comes from
Fees & charges 34%Utility sales 33%From the state 11%Interest, fines & other 7%From other local governments 6%From the federal government 4%Property taxes 3%Sales taxes 3%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $23,000; interest on debt $21,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $272,000.
Over the years

No trend yet

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

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $351 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.48% of the home’s value, vs 0.55% across Arkansas.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Arkansas$1,040
Perry$351
$351
typical bill a year
0.48%
effective rate
$73,300
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Perry

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

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

One full-time town employee for every 279 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 (279).

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

Administration & buildings0 + 7 pt
Police1 + 1 pt
Water & other utilities0 + 2 pt
Fire0 + 1 pt
Other0 + 9 pt
1
full-time
20
part-time
$16,615
payroll for March 2022
$199,380
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$43,300
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
1
sworn police officers
Compared, 2022.Perry had 3.6 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 4.8: Perry had fewer than 55% 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

Two Rivers School District

Perry’s K–12 school district, shared with Casa, Ola, Plainview. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Perry →
$14,141
per pupil · AR $13,585
745
students
$5.5 million
long-term debt

Of the $14,141 per pupil, $7,984 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 11%State 68%Federal 21%

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

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Perry’s votes are counted by county

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

President · Perry County’s results4,584 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican77.6%3,559 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat20.1%923 votes

Others: 2.2% (102 votes).

Most votes in Perry County: Donald J Trump

Arkansas: Trump 64.2%, Harris 33.6%

The county’s page

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

Perry 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 Perry

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Perry.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your townTown government
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  2. 2
    Arkansas HouseState representatives
    Mary Bentley
  3. 3
    Arkansas SenateState senator
    Terry Rice
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
    Sarah Huckabee Sanders
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
    J. French Hill
  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 Perry’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Perry’s government

How much does Perry spend per resident?

About $581 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 $581 was more than 68% of 181 Arkansas cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Perry?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $351 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.48% 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 Perry’s government?

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

How did Perry vote in 2024?

Arkansas counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Perry alone. Perry County, where 100% of Perry lies, voted Trump 77.6%, Harris 20.1% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Perry?

1 full-time and 20 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $16,615 (about $199,380 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Perry in the state legislature?

State Senate District 5 (Terry Rice) and State House District 54 (Mary Bentley). The House district also covers 10 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Perry’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 →