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Ponce de Leon town hall01Photo: Ebyabe · CC BY-SA 3.0
Town Hall · Ponce de Leon

Ponce de Leon spent less per resident in 2022 than 97% of similar cities

Ponce de Leon’s town government spent $82,000 on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2022, about $144 per resident.

Town website
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$82,000
year to September 30, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$144
In 2022: $144, less than 97% of 122 similar cities
Long-term debt
$524,000
end of FY2022, reported
Town staff, 2022
6
full-time · 28 part-time · March payroll $27,898
Typical tax bill
$914
0.74% of home value · FL 0.76%

What stands out about how Ponce de Leon is run

Read from the town’s budget and official records.

Spends less than most similar citiesIn 2022: $144 per resident, less than 97% of 122 similar cities.A shared school districtShares Holmes County School District with 4 other towns.Lower tax billsThe typical bill is $914 a year: 0.74% of the home’s value, vs 0.76% across Florida.
Compared with similar places

$144 per resident in 2022: less than 97% of them

Ponce de Leon’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($144 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 122 Florida cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,114, and the middle half spent $548–$1,752. Ponce de Leon spent less than 97% of them.

Middle half of the group, $548–$1,752Median $1,114Ponce de Leon

Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →

The group
122

Florida cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Ponce de Leon itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $144 per resident a year, or $0.39 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 38%.

Where the money comes from
Utility sales 47%From the state 30%Other taxes & licenses 11%Interest, fines & other 8%Property taxes 2%Fees & charges 1%Sales taxes 1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $12,000; interest on debt $32,000. With these, the whole budget was $126,000.
About “Other”.46% of Ponce de Leon’s day-to-day spending ($38,000) 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

Ponce de Leon reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $914 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.74% of the home’s value, vs 0.76% across Florida.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Florida$2,730
Ponce de Leon$914
$914
typical bill a year
0.74%
effective rate
$123,800
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Ponce de Leon

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

See poncedeleonfl.com for Ponce de Leon’s current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Ponce de Leon yet.poncedeleonfl.com ↗
Agendas

Ponce de Leon’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on poncedeleonfl.com ↗.

Who works for Ponce de Leon

One full-time town employee for every 95 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 (569).

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

Fire0 + 20 pt
Administration & buildings2 + 6 pt
Roads & transportation2 + 1 pt
Water & other utilities2 + 1 pt
6
full-time
28
part-time
$27,898
payroll for March 2022
$334,776
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$41,400
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
Compared, 2022.Ponce de Leon had 10.5 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 99 of the 122 Florida cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 6.5: Ponce de Leon had more than 72% 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

Holmes County School District

Ponce de Leon’s K–12 school district, shared with Bonifay, Esto, Noma, Westville. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Ponce de Leon →
$11,995
per pupil · FL $13,006
3,201
students
$647,000
long-term debt

Of the $11,995 per pupil, $6,460 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 14%State 66%Federal 21%

Florida districts overall: 55% local, 29% state, 15% federal.

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Ponce de Leon’s votes are counted by county

Florida reports official results by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Ponce de Leon alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Holmes County’s results.

President · Holmes County’s results9,132 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican89.7%8,193 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat9.7%882 votes

Others: 0.6% (57 votes).

Most votes in Holmes County: Donald J Trump

Florida: Trump 56.1%, Harris 43.0%

The county’s page

100% of Ponce de Leon lies in Holmes County. Every 2024 race in Holmes County is on the county’s page.

Holmes 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 Ponce de Leon

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Ponce de Leon.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your townTown government
    Officials: poncedeleonfl.com ↗
  2. 2
    Florida HouseState representatives
    Shane Abbott
  3. 3
    Florida SenateState senator
    Jay Trumbull
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
    Ron DeSantis
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
    Neal P. Dunn
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Florida
    Rick ScottAshley Moody

Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.

Reach Ponce de Leon’s government

The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.

The Handbook →
Official websiteponcedeleonfl.com ↗

Questions about Ponce de Leon’s government

How much does Ponce de Leon spend per resident?

About $144 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $144 was less than 97% of 122 Florida cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Ponce de Leon?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $914 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.74% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.76% across Florida. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see poncedeleonfl.com.

Who runs Ponce de Leon’s government?

See poncedeleonfl.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Ponce de Leon yet.

How did Ponce de Leon vote in 2024?

Florida counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Ponce de Leon alone. Holmes County, where 100% of Ponce de Leon lies, voted Trump 89.7%, Harris 9.7% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Ponce de Leon?

6 full-time and 28 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $27,898 (about $334,776 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Ponce de Leon in the state legislature?

State Senate District 2 (Jay Trumbull) and State House District 5 (Shane Abbott). The House district also covers 25 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Ponce de Leon’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 →