Photo: Photolitherland Chris Litherland · CC BY 3.0How is Walnut Ridge run?
Walnut Ridge’s city government spent $1.5 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2023, about $266 per resident. These are Census Bureau estimates: Walnut Ridge didn’t report its figures, so this page shows them without comparisons.
What stands out about how Walnut Ridge is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
Lawrence County School District
Walnut Ridge’s K–12 school district, shared with Alicia, Black Rock, Portia, Powhatan. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $12,268 per pupil, $7,078 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.
Arkansas districts overall: 16% local, 70% state, 14% federal.
Hoxie School District · $12,350 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
About $266 per resident a year, or $0.73 a day
Day-to-day services only (a Census Bureau estimate). The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 27%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Walnut Ridge didn’t report all of its 2023 figures to the Census Bureau, so most of these numbers are the Bureau’s estimates.
No comparison or trend for Walnut Ridge yet
Every year of Walnut Ridge’s figures is a Census Bureau estimate: the city reported none of its dollars for 2022–2023. Estimates are shown above, labeled, but never ranked against places that reported or drawn as a trend.
How Town Hall compares budgets →The typical homeowner pays $501 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.42% of the home’s value, vs 0.55% across Arkansas.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Walnut Ridge’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.
Tax bills are one input to Walnut Ridge’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Walnut Ridge →
Who’s in charge in Walnut Ridge
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Walnut Ridge’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on cityofwalnutridge.com ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 195 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2023 finance file (5,448).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Walnut Ridge’s votes are counted by county
Arkansas reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Walnut Ridge alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Lawrence County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican81.0%4,608 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat17.0%965 votesOthers: 2.1% (119 votes).
Most votes in Lawrence County: Donald J Trump
Arkansas: Trump 64.2%, Harris 33.6%
100% of Walnut Ridge lies in Lawrence County. Every 2024 race in Lawrence County is on the county’s page.
Lawrence County’s 2024 results →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.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for Walnut Ridge.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: cityofwalnutridge.com ↗
- 2Arkansas HouseState representatives
- 3Arkansas SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Arkansas
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Walnut Ridge compares with the towns next door
Walnut Ridge’s own figures are Census estimates, so it isn’t placed among its neighbors. 1 of the 1 towns next door reported 2022 figures, from $610 per resident. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Hoxie | $610 | $436 |
| Walnut Ridge | estimate | $501 |
Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).
Reach Walnut Ridge’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Walnut Ridge’s government
How much does Walnut Ridge spend per resident?
About $266 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2023, a Census Bureau estimate (Walnut Ridge didn’t report its figures). With building projects and interest, the whole budget was about $1.5 million.
What is the property tax rate in Walnut Ridge?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $501 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.42% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.55% across Arkansas. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cityofwalnutridge.com.
Who runs Walnut Ridge’s government?
See cityofwalnutridge.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Walnut Ridge yet.
How did Walnut Ridge vote in 2024?
Arkansas counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Walnut Ridge alone. Lawrence County, where 100% of Walnut Ridge lies, voted Trump 81.0%, Harris 17.0% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Walnut Ridge?
28 full-time and 3 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $79,974 (about $959,688 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Walnut Ridge in the state legislature?
State Senate District 21 (Blake Johnson) and State House District 30 (Fran Cavenaugh). The House district also covers three neighboring towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Walnut Ridge’s government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
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 (for Walnut Ridge, the Bureau’s estimates); 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 →