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Stephens, AR, water tower IMG 2210Photo: Billy Hathorn · CC BY-SA 3.0
Town Hall · Stephens

Stephens spent more per resident in 2022 than 92% of similar cities

Stephens’ city government spent $794,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $1,019 per resident. Water and other utilities ($15,000) are counted separately.

Election Day

Tomorrow

General election in Arkansas.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$794,000
year to December 31, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$1,019
In 2022: $1,019, more than 92% of 181 similar cities
Long-term debt
Not reported
end of 2022, reported
City staff, 2022
1
full-time · 10 part-time · March payroll $12,465
Typical tax bill
$469
0.66% of home value · AR 0.55%

What stands out about how Stephens is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

Spends more than most similar citiesIn 2022: $1,019 per resident, more than 92% of 181 similar cities.A shared school districtShares Camden Fairview School District with 2 other towns.Low bills, a higher rateThe typical bill is $469 a year: 0.66% of the home’s value, vs 0.55% across Arkansas.
Compared with similar places

$1,019 per resident in 2022: more than 92% of them

Stephens’ day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,019 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. Stephens spent more than 92% of them.

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

Includes sewer and trash ($107,000), 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; Stephens itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $1,019 per resident a year, or $2.79 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 13%.

Where the money comes from
Sales taxes 34%Utility sales 32%Fees & charges 19%From the federal government 10%Interest, fines & other 3%Property taxes 2%
Not in the receipt.With the enterprises, the whole budget was $809,000.
About “Other”.83% of Stephens’ day-to-day spending ($656,000) is filed by the Census Bureau outside the named functions above, so the receipt can’t say what it buys.
Over the years

No trend yet

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

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $469 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.66% of the home’s value, vs 0.55% across Arkansas.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Arkansas$1,040
Stephens$469
$469
typical bill a year
0.66%
effective rate
$70,700
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Stephens

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

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

One full-time city employee for every 779 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 (779).

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

Water & other utilities1 + 2 pt
Sewer & trash0 + 3 pt
Administration & buildings0 + 2 pt
Fire0 + 1 pt
Roads & transportation0 + 1 pt
Police0 + 1 pt
1
full-time
10
part-time
$12,465
payroll for March 2022
$149,580
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$29,300
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
Compared, 2022.Stephens had 1.3 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: Stephens had fewer than 61% 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

Camden Fairview School District

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

Schools in Stephens →
$15,357
per pupil · AR $13,585
2,107
students
$7.9 million
long-term debt

Of the $15,357 per pupil, $7,220 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 12%State 71%Federal 17%

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

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Stephens’ votes are counted by county

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

President · Ouachita County’s results8,626 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican58.6%5,056 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat39.6%3,412 votes

Others: 1.8% (158 votes).

Most votes in Ouachita County: Donald J Trump

Arkansas: Trump 64.2%, Harris 33.6%

The county’s page

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

Ouachita 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 Stephens

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Stephens.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  2. 2
    Arkansas HouseState representatives
    Wade Andrews
  3. 3
    Arkansas SenateState senator
    Matt Stone
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
    Sarah Huckabee Sanders
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
    Bruce Westerman
  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 Stephens’ government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Stephens’ government

How much does Stephens spend per resident?

About $1,019 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 $1,019 was more than 92% of 181 Arkansas cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Stephens?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $469 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.66% 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 Stephens’ government?

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

How did Stephens vote in 2024?

Arkansas counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Stephens alone. Ouachita County, where 100% of Stephens lies, voted Trump 58.6%, Harris 39.6% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Stephens?

1 full-time and 10 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $12,465 (about $149,580 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Stephens in the state legislature?

State Senate District 2 (Matt Stone) and State House District 98 (Wade Andrews). The House district also covers 10 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Stephens’ 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 →