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Downing HouseDowning House · Photo: JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ MD · CC BY-SA 3.0
Town Hall · Memphis

How is Memphis run?

Memphis’ city government spent $786,000 on day-to-day services in the year to August 31, 2022, about $433 per resident. These are Census Bureau estimates: Memphis didn’t report its figures, so this page shows them without comparisons.

Election Day

Tomorrow

General election in Missouri.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$786,000
year to August 31, 2022 · Census estimate
Per resident, 2022
$433
Census estimate · not compared
Long-term debt
Not reported
end of FY2022 · Census estimate
City staff, 2022
26
full-time · 3 part-time · March payroll $78,887
Typical tax bill
$1,000
0.75% of home value · MO 0.85%

What stands out about how Memphis is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

Runs its own water & sewer85% of day-to-day spending goes to water, sewer and trash (a Census estimate).A shared school districtShares Scotland County R-I School District with 4 other towns.Lower tax billsThe typical bill is $1,000 a year: 0.75% of the home’s value, vs 0.85% across Missouri.
★ What stands out · Your share of the 2022 budget

About $433 per resident a year, or $1.19 a day

Day-to-day services only (a Census Bureau estimate). The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 28%.

Where the money comes from
Utility sales 71%Fees & charges 11%Sales taxes 10%Property taxes 4%From the state 3%From other local governments 1%Other taxes & licenses 1%
An estimate

Memphis didn’t report all of its 2022 figures to the Census Bureau, so most of these numbers are the Bureau’s estimates.

Not in the receipt.Building projects $484,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $4.6 million.
Compared with similar places · Over the years

No comparison or trend for Memphis yet

Every year of Memphis’ figures is a Census Bureau estimate: the city reported none of its dollars for 2022. Estimates are shown above, labeled, but never ranked against places that reported or drawn as a trend.

How Town Hall compares budgets →
Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $1,000 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.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Missouri$1,948
Memphis$1,000
$1,000
typical bill a year
0.75%
effective rate
$132,800
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Memphis

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

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

One full-time city employee for every 70 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 (1,815).

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

Administration & buildings9
Water & other utilities8
Sewer & trash4
Roads & transportation3
Police2 + 1 pt
Parks & libraries0 + 1 pt
Other0 + 1 pt
26
full-time
3
part-time
$78,887
payroll for March 2022
$946,644
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$35,900
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
2
sworn police officers
Not compared.Staff are compared with the same group as the budget, and Memphis’ 2022 budget was a Census estimate, so there is no group to compare with.

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

Scotland County R-I School District

Memphis’ K–12 school district, shared with Arbela, Granger, Rutledge, South Gorin. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Memphis →
$15,840
per pupil · MO $14,569
519
students
None
long-term debt

Of the $15,840 per pupil, $9,684 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 43%State 34%Federal 23%

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

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Memphis’ votes are counted by county

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

President · Scotland County’s results1,918 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican80.1%1,537 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat18.7%358 votes

Others: 1.2% (23 votes).

Most votes in Scotland County: Donald J Trump

Missouri: Trump 58.5%, Harris 40.1%

The county’s page

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

Scotland 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 Memphis

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Memphis.

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 Memphis’ government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Memphis’ government

How much does Memphis spend per resident?

About $433 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to August 31, 2022, a Census Bureau estimate (Memphis didn’t report its figures). With building projects and interest, the whole budget was about $4.6 million.

What is the property tax rate in Memphis?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,000 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 the city’s assessor.

Who runs Memphis’ government?

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

How did Memphis vote in 2024?

Missouri counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Memphis alone. Scotland County, where 100% of Memphis lies, voted Trump 80.1%, Harris 18.7% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Memphis?

26 full-time and 3 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $78,887 (about $946,644 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Memphis 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 Memphis’ 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 (for Memphis, the Bureau’s estimates); 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 →