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Town Hall · Clarence

Clarence spent more per resident in 2022 than 88% of similar cities

Clarence’s city government spent $697,000 on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $927 per resident. Water and other utilities ($524,000) are counted separately.

Election Day

Tomorrow

General election in Missouri.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$697,000
year to June 30, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$927
In 2022: $927, more than 88% of 356 similar cities
Long-term debt
$594,000
end of FY2022, reported
City staff, 2022
8
full-time · 6 part-time · March payroll $27,872
Typical tax bill
$561
0.76% of home value · MO 0.85%

What stands out about how Clarence is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

Spends more than most similar citiesIn 2022: $927 per resident, more than 88% of 356 similar cities.Runs its own water & sewer59% of day-to-day spending goes to water, sewer and trash (2022).A shared school districtShares Shelby County R-IV School District with 1 other town.Lower tax billsThe typical bill is $561 a year: 0.76% of the home’s value, vs 0.85% across Missouri.
Compared with similar places

$927 per resident in 2022: more than 88% of them

Clarence’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($927 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 356 Missouri cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $313, and the middle half spent $137–$614. Clarence spent more than 88% of them.

Middle half of the group, $137–$614Median $313Clarence

Includes sewer and trash ($202,000), 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
356

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

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $927 per resident a year, or $2.54 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 29%.

Where the money comes from
Utility sales 42%Fees & charges 19%From the state 16%Sales taxes 11%Interest, fines & other 5%Property taxes 4%From other local governments 3%Other taxes & licenses 1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $143,000; interest on debt $19,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $1.4 million.
Over the years

No trend yet

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

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $561 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.76% of the home’s value, vs 0.85% across Missouri.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Missouri$1,948
Clarence$561
$561
typical bill a year
0.76%
effective rate
$74,100
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Clarence

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

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

One full-time city employee for every 94 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 (752).

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

Administration & buildings3 + 5 pt
Water & other utilities2
Roads & transportation1
Police1
Sewer & trash1
Fire0 + 1 pt
8
full-time
6
part-time
$27,872
payroll for March 2022
$334,464
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$41,400
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
1
sworn police officers
Compared, 2022.Clarence had 10.6 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 277 of the 356 Missouri cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 3.6: Clarence had more 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

Shelby County R-IV School District

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

Schools in Clarence →
$14,101
per pupil · MO $14,569
666
students
None
long-term debt

Of the $14,101 per pupil, $8,317 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 53%State 36%Federal 11%

Missouri districts overall: 54% local, 35% state, 11% federal.

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Clarence’s votes are counted by county

Missouri reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Clarence alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Shelby County’s results.

President · Shelby County’s results3,262 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican82.5%2,691 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat16.9%550 votes

Others: 0.6% (21 votes).

Most votes in Shelby County: Donald J Trump

Missouri: Trump 58.5%, Harris 40.1%

The county’s page

100% of Clarence lies in Shelby County. Every 2024 race in Shelby County is on the county’s page.

Shelby 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 Clarence

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Clarence.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  2. 2
    Missouri HouseState representatives
    Greg Sharpe
  3. 3
    Missouri SenateState senator
    Cindy O'Laughlin
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
    Mike Kehoe
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
    Sam Graves
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Missouri
    Josh HawleyEric Schmitt

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

Reach Clarence’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Clarence’s government

How much does Clarence spend per resident?

About $927 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $927 was more than 88% of 356 Missouri cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Clarence?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $561 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.76% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.85% across Missouri. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the city’s assessor.

Who runs Clarence’s government?

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

How did Clarence vote in 2024?

Missouri counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Clarence alone. Shelby County, where 100% of Clarence lies, voted Trump 82.5%, Harris 16.9% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Clarence?

8 full-time and 6 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $27,872 (about $334,464 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Clarence in the state legislature?

State Senate District 18 (Cindy O'Laughlin) and State House District 4 (Greg Sharpe). The House district also covers 35 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Clarence’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 →