Bagnell Dam and Osage Power Plant · Photo: KTrimble · CC0Lake Ozark spent more per resident in 2022 than 99% of similar cities
Lake Ozark’s city government spent $4.1 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $2,208 per resident. Water and other utilities ($403,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Lake Ozark is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$2,208 per resident in 2022: more than 99% of them
Lake Ozark’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($2,208 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. Lake Ozark spent more than 99% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($796,000), 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 under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Lake Ozark itself left out).
About $2,208 per resident a year, or $6.05 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 34%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Lake Ozark reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $1,782 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.64% 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 Lake Ozark’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 Lake Ozark’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Lake Ozark →
Who’s in charge in Lake Ozark
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time city employee for every 40 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 (1,853).
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.
School of The Osage School District
Lake Ozark’s K–12 school district, shared with Bagnell, Brumley, Village of Four Seasons. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $12,679 per pupil, $7,137 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.
Lake Ozark’s votes are counted by county
Missouri reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Lake Ozark alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Miller County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican83.2%10,826 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat15.9%2,067 votesOthers: 0.9% (118 votes).
Most votes in Miller County: Donald J Trump
Missouri: Trump 58.5%, Harris 40.1%
97% of Lake Ozark lies in Miller County; the rest in Camden County. Every 2024 race in Miller County is on the county’s page.
Miller 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 Lake Ozark.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 2Missouri HouseLake Ozark is split between 2 districts
- 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.
How Lake Ozark compares with the towns next door
Lake Ozark spent $2,208 per resident in 2022; the neighbor that reported 2022 spent $2,314. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Osage Beach | $2,314 | $1,740 |
| Bagnell | estimate | — |
| Lake Ozark | $2,208 | $1,782 |
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 Lake Ozark’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Lake Ozark’s government
How much does Lake Ozark spend per resident?
About $2,208 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 $2,208 was more than 99% of 356 Missouri cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Lake Ozark?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,782 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.64% 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 Lake Ozark’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Lake Ozark yet.
How did Lake Ozark vote in 2024?
Missouri counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Lake Ozark alone. Miller County, where 97% of Lake Ozark lies, voted Trump 83.2%, Harris 15.9% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Lake Ozark?
46 full-time and 4 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $147,788 (about $1.8M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Lake Ozark in the state legislature?
Lake Ozark is split among 2 State House districts, so your address decides. The Missouri Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Its State Senate district is District 6 (Mike Bernskoetter). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Lake Ozark’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 →