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Zachary Railroad DepotPhoto: Jim Plylar · CC BY-SA 3.0
Town Hall · Zachary

Zachary spent less per resident in 2022 than 89% of similar cities

Zachary’s city government spent $25.9 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $1,303 per resident. Water and other utilities ($4.1 million) are counted separately.

Town website
Day-to-day spending, 2024
$25.9M
year to June 30, 2024
Per resident, 2024
$1,303
In 2022: $1,113, less than 89% of 18 similar cities
Long-term debt
$20.7M
end of FY2024, reported
City staff, 2022
145
full-time · 36 part-time · March payroll $644,300
Typical tax bill
$1,943
0.75% of home value · LA 0.55%

What stands out about how Zachary is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

Compared with similar places

$1,113 per resident in 2022: less than 89% of them

Zachary’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,113 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 18 Louisiana cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,552, and the middle half spent $1,224–$1,768. Zachary spent less than 89% of them.

Middle half of the group, $1,224–$1,768Median $1,552Zachary

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
18

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

Your share of the 2024 budget

About $1,303 per resident a year, or $3.57 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 22%.

Where the money comes from
Sales taxes 33%Utility sales 17%From the federal government 13%Interest, fines & other 12%Fees & charges 10%From the state 9%Property taxes 4%Other taxes & licenses 2%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $7.6 million; interest on debt $705,000; payments to other governments $86,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $38.5 million.
Over the years

Day-to-day spending is up 27% since 2022

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

Day-to-day spending by fiscal year

2022$20.5 million
2024$25.9 million

Per resident: 2022: $1,113 · 2024: $1,303. Per resident it went from $1,113 to $1,303 (up 17%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 18,417 to 19,916.

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 $1,943 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.75% of the home’s value, vs 0.55% across Louisiana.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Zachary$1,943
Central$1,868
Louisiana$1,180
$1,943
typical bill a year
0.75%
effective rate
$259,100
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Zachary

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

See cityofzachary.org for Zachary’s current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Zachary yet.cityofzachary.org ↗
Agendas

Zachary’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on cityofzachary.org ↗.

Who works for Zachary

One full-time city employee for every 137 residents

On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (19,916).

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

Fire50 + 7 pt
Police47 + 5 pt
Administration & buildings16 + 13 pt
Water & other utilities10
Courts, inspections & corrections7 + 5 pt
Parks & libraries6 + 1 pt
Roads & transportation6
Sewer & trash0 + 5 pt
Other3
145
full-time
36
part-time
$644,300
payroll for March 2022
$7.7M
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$50,000
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
47
sworn police officers
50
full-time firefighters
Compared, 2022.Zachary had 7.9 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 14 of the 18 Louisiana cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 12.4: Zachary had fewer 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

Zachary Community School District

Zachary’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Zachary →
$13,774
per pupil · LA $15,623
5,753
students
$37.7 million
long-term debt

Of the $13,774 per pupil, $7,856 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 48%State 44%Federal 8%

Louisiana districts overall: 47% local, 34% state, 19% federal.

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

Who represents Zachary

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Zachary.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
  2. 2
    Louisiana HouseZachary is split between 2 districts
  3. 3
    Louisiana SenateState senator
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Louisiana

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

Next door

How Zachary compares with the towns next door

Zachary spent $1,113 per resident in 2022; the neighbor that reported 2022 spent $384. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.

Spends the leastSpends the mostEstimate or no figures
TownDay-to-day, per resident (2022)Tax bill
Central$384$1,868
Zachary$1,113$1,943

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 Zachary’s government

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

The Handbook →

Questions about Zachary’s government

How much does Zachary spend per resident?

About $1,303 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,113 was less than 89% of 18 Louisiana cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Zachary?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,943 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.75% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.55% across Louisiana. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cityofzachary.org.

Who runs Zachary’s government?

See cityofzachary.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Zachary yet.

How many people work for Zachary?

145 full-time and 36 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $644,300 (about $7.7M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Zachary in the state legislature?

Zachary is split among 2 State House districts and 3 State Senate districts, so your address decides. The Louisiana Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Zachary’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 →