Rohwer Relocation Center Memorial Cemetery · Photo: Brandonrush · CC BY-SA 3.0Watson spent less per resident in 2022 than 70% of similar cities
Watson’s city government spent $36,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $205 per resident.
What stands out about how Watson is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$205 per resident in 2022: less than 70% of them
Watson’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($205 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. Watson spent less than 70% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($13,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Arkansas cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Watson itself left out).
About $205 per resident a year, or $0.56 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 64%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Watson reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $199 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.41% 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 Watson’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 Watson’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Watson →
Who’s in charge in Watson
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time city employee for every 44 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 (176).
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.
McGehee School District
Watson’s K–12 school district, shared with Arkansas City, McGehee, Reed, Tillar. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $15,528 per pupil, $8,446 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.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Watson’s votes are counted by county
Arkansas reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Watson alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Desha County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican51.5%1,805 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat46.7%1,638 votesOthers: 1.8% (62 votes).
Most votes in Desha County: Donald J Trump
Arkansas: Trump 64.2%, Harris 33.6%
100% of Watson lies in Desha County. Every 2024 race in Desha County is on the county’s page.
Desha 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 Watson.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 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.
Reach Watson’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Watson’s government
How much does Watson spend per resident?
About $205 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 $205 was less than 70% of 181 Arkansas cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Watson?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $199 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.41% 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 Watson’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Watson yet.
How did Watson vote in 2024?
Arkansas counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Watson alone. Desha County, where 100% of Watson lies, voted Trump 51.5%, Harris 46.7% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Watson?
4 full-time and 6 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $5,334 (about $64,008 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Watson in the state legislature?
State Senate District 8 (Stephanie Flowers) and State House District 62 (Mark McElroy). The House district also covers 15 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Watson’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; 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 →