Photo: Brian Stansberry · CC BY 4.0Charleston spent less per resident in 2022 than 96% of similar cities
Charleston’s city government spent $989,000 on day-to-day services in the year to April 30, 2022, about $197 per resident. That is its newest year reported to the Census Bureau. Water and other utilities ($142,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Charleston is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$197 per resident in 2022: less than 96% of them
Charleston’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($197 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 79 Missouri cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $780, and the middle half spent $534–$1,041. Charleston spent less than 96% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($793,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Missouri cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Charleston itself left out).
About $197 per resident a year, or $0.54 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 80%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Charleston reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau (2023 is an estimate), so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $925 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.75% of the home’s value, vs 0.85% across Missouri.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Charleston’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 Charleston’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Charleston →
Who’s in charge in Charleston
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Charleston’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on charlestonmo.us ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 148 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (5,015).
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.
Charleston R-I School District
Charleston’s K–12 school district, shared with Anniston, Bertrand, Wilson City, Wyatt. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $12,128 per pupil, $6,094 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.
Missouri districts overall: 54% local, 35% state, 11% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Charleston’s votes are counted by county
Missouri reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Charleston alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Mississippi County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican76.5%3,404 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat22.8%1,015 votesOthers: 0.7% (30 votes).
Most votes in Mississippi County: Donald J Trump
Missouri: Trump 58.5%, Harris 40.1%
100% of Charleston lies in Mississippi County. Every 2024 race in Mississippi County is on the county’s page.
Mississippi 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 Charleston.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: charlestonmo.us ↗
- 2Missouri HouseState representativesDistrict 149
- 3Missouri SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Missouri
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
Reach Charleston’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Charleston’s government
How much does Charleston spend per resident?
About $197 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to April 30, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $197 was less than 96% of 79 Missouri cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Charleston?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $925 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.75% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.85% across Missouri. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see charlestonmo.us.
Who runs Charleston’s government?
See charlestonmo.us for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Charleston yet.
How did Charleston vote in 2024?
Missouri counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Charleston alone. Mississippi County, where 100% of Charleston lies, voted Trump 76.5%, Harris 22.8% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Charleston?
34 full-time and 3 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $106,101 (about $1.3M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Charleston in the state legislature?
State Senate District 25 (Jason Bean) and State House District 149. The House district also covers 25 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Charleston’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 →