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Carthage, IndianaPhoto: Chris Flook · CC BY-SA 4.0
Town Hall · Carthage

Carthage spent less per resident in 2022 than 67% of similar cities

Carthage’s town government spent $360,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $404 per resident. Water and other utilities ($70,000) are counted separately.

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Day-to-day spending, 2022
$360,000
year to December 31, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$404
In 2022: $404, less than 67% of 363 similar cities
Long-term debt
$1.6M
end of 2022, reported
Town staff, 2022
9
full-time · 2 part-time · March payroll $36,035
Typical tax bill
$1,058
1.18% of home value · IN 0.74%

What stands out about how Carthage is run

Read from the town’s budget and official records.

Compared with similar places

$404 per resident in 2022: less than 67% of them

Carthage’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($404 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 363 Indiana cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $586, and the middle half spent $292–$967. Carthage spent less than 67% of them.

Middle half of the group, $292–$967Median $586Carthage

Includes sewer and trash ($77,000), 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
363

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

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $404 per resident a year, or $1.11 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 68%.

Where the money comes from
Interest, fines & other 31%Fees & charges 27%Utility sales 26%Property taxes 9%From the state 6%From other local governments <1%Other taxes & licenses <1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $11,000; interest on debt $65,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $506,000.
Over the years

No trend yet

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

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $1,058 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.18% of the home’s value, vs 0.74% across Indiana.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Indiana$1,614
Carthage$1,058
$1,058
typical bill a year
1.18%
effective rate
$89,800
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Carthage

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

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

One full-time town employee for every 99 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 (890).

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

Administration & buildings7
Water & other utilities2
Police0 + 2 pt
9
full-time
2
part-time
$36,035
payroll for March 2022
$432,420
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$44,600
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
Compared, 2022.Carthage had 10.1 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 221 of the 363 Indiana cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 4.3: Carthage had more than 86% 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

C. A. Beard Memorial School Corporation

Carthage’s K–12 school district, shared with Greensboro, Greensboro Township, Kennard, Knightstown, Ripley Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Carthage →
$13,446
per pupil · IN $13,688
1,061
students
$6 million
long-term debt

Of the $13,446 per pupil, $7,319 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 34%State 58%Federal 8%

Indiana districts overall: 33% local, 56% state, 11% federal.

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

Who represents Carthage

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Carthage.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your townTown government
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  2. 2
    Indiana HouseState representatives
  3. 3
    Indiana SenateState senator
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Indiana

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

Reach Carthage’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Carthage’s government

How much does Carthage spend per resident?

About $404 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 $404 was less than 67% of 363 Indiana cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Carthage?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,058 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.18% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.74% across Indiana. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the town’s assessor.

Who runs Carthage’s government?

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

How many people work for Carthage?

9 full-time and 2 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $36,035 (about $432,420 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Carthage in the state legislature?

State Senate District 42 (Jean Leising) and State House District 54 (Cory Criswell). The House district also covers 43 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Carthage’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 →