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Commercial Avenue in Downtown LowellPhoto: Dennisyerger84 · CC BY-SA 3.0
Town Hall · Lowell

Lowell spent less per resident in 2022 than 69% of similar cities

Lowell’s town government spent $10.3 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2023, about $938 per resident. Water and other utilities ($293,000) are counted separately.

Town website
Election Day

Today

General election in Indiana.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2023
$10.3M
year to December 31, 2023
Per resident, 2023
$938
In 2022: $1,035, less than 69% of 35 similar cities
Long-term debt
$6.4M
end of 2023, reported
Town staff, 2022
45
full-time · 17 part-time · March payroll $251,150
Typical tax bill
$2,197
0.89% of home value · IN 0.74%

What stands out about how Lowell is run

Read from the town’s budget and official records.

Compared with similar places

$1,035 per resident in 2022: less than 69% of them

Lowell’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,035 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 35 Indiana cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,182, and the middle half spent $976–$1,616. Lowell spent less than 69% of them.

Middle half of the group, $976–$1,616Median $1,182Lowell

Includes sewer and trash ($3.2 million), 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
35

Indiana cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Lowell itself left out).

Your share of the 2023 budget

About $938 per resident a year, or $2.57 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 34%.

Where the money comes from
Fees & charges 58%Property taxes 20%From the state 12%Interest, fines & other 4%Other taxes & licenses 3%Utility sales 2%From other local governments 1%Sales taxes 1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $847,000; interest on debt $580,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $12 million.
Over the years

Day-to-day spending is down 2% since 2022

Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Lowell reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.

Day-to-day spending by fiscal year

2022$10.5 million
2023$10.3 million

Per resident: 2022: $1,035 · 2023: $938. Per resident it went from $1,035 to $938 (down 9%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 10,137 to 10,972.

Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $2,197 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.89% of the home’s value, vs 0.74% across Indiana.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Lowell$2,197
Indiana$1,614
$2,197
typical bill a year
0.89%
effective rate
$248,000
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Lowell

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

See lowell.net for Lowell’s current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Lowell yet.lowell.net ↗
Agendas

Lowell’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on lowell.net ↗.

Who works for Lowell

One full-time town employee for every 244 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 (10,972).

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

Police18 + 2 pt
Roads & transportation10
Administration & buildings6 + 5 pt
Sewer & trash6 + 1 pt
Courts, inspections & corrections0 + 7 pt
Housing & development2 + 1 pt
Parks & libraries1 + 1 pt
Fire1
Other1
45
full-time
17
part-time
$251,150
payroll for March 2022
$3.0M
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$63,900
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
17
sworn police officers
1
full-time firefighters
Compared, 2022.Lowell had 4.4 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 25 of the 35 Indiana cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 8.7: Lowell had fewer than 88% 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

Tri-Creek School Corporation

Lowell’s K–12 school district, shared with Cedar Creek Township, Eagle Creek Township, Schneider, West Creek Township. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Lowell →
$11,438
per pupil · IN $13,688
3,209
students
$170 million
long-term debt

Of the $11,438 per pupil, $6,276 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 41%State 55%Federal 4%

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

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

Who represents Lowell

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Lowell.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your townTown government
    Officials: lowell.net ↗
  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 Lowell’s government

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

The Handbook →

Questions about Lowell’s government

How much does Lowell spend per resident?

About $938 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2023, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,035 was less than 69% of 35 Indiana cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Lowell?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,197 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.89% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.74% across Indiana. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see lowell.net.

Who runs Lowell’s government?

See lowell.net for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Lowell yet.

How many people work for Lowell?

45 full-time and 17 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $251,150 (about $3.0M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Lowell in the state legislature?

State Senate District 6 (Rick Niemeyer) and State House District 11 (Mike Aylesworth). The House district also covers 23 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Lowell’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 →