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Ozark Courthouse Square Historic DistrictOzark Courthouse Square Historic District · Photo: Kbh3rd · CC BY 4.0
Town Hall · Ozark

Ozark spent less per resident in 2022 than 81% of similar cities

Ozark’s city government spent $18.1 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, about $804 per resident. Water and other utilities ($4.9 million) are counted separately.

Town website
Election Day

Tomorrow

General election in Missouri.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2024
$18.1M
year to December 31, 2024
Per resident, 2024
$804
In 2022: $613, less than 81% of 26 similar cities
Long-term debt
$32.7M
end of 2024, reported
City staff, 2022
108
full-time · 99 part-time · March payroll $524,877
Typical tax bill
$1,926
0.76% of home value · MO 0.85%

What stands out about how Ozark is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

Compared with similar places

$613 per resident in 2022: less than 81% of them

Ozark’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($613 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 26 Missouri cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $934, and the middle half spent $738–$1,248. Ozark spent less than 81% of them.

Middle half of the group, $738–$1,248Median $934Ozark

Includes sewer and trash ($4.9 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
26

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

Your share of the 2024 budget

About $804 per resident a year, or $2.20 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 37%.

Where the money comes from
Sales taxes 46%Fees & charges 24%From the state 14%Interest, fines & other 7%Property taxes 4%Utility sales 3%Other taxes & licenses 2%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $13.6 million; interest on debt $1.4 million. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $37.9 million.
Over the years

Day-to-day spending is up 40% since 2022

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

Day-to-day spending by fiscal year

2022$12.9 million
2024$18.1 million

Per resident: 2022: $613 · 2024: $804. Per resident it went from $613 to $804 (up 31%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 21,052 to 22,512.

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 $1,926 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

Fremont Hills$4,281
Missouri$1,948
Ozark$1,926
Nixa$1,921
$1,926
typical bill a year
0.76%
effective rate
$254,800
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at 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.

Tax bills are one input to Ozark’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Ozark →

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Ozark

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

See ozarkmissouri.com for Ozark’s current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Ozark yet.ozarkmissouri.com ↗
Agendas

Ozark’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on ozarkmissouri.com ↗.

Who works for Ozark

One full-time city employee for every 208 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 (22,512).

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

Parks & libraries18 + 90 pt
Police38
Administration & buildings14 + 9 pt
Roads & transportation14
Sewer & trash9
Water & other utilities5
Courts, inspections & corrections4
Other6
108
full-time
99
part-time
$524,877
payroll for March 2022
$6.3M
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$51,900
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
34
sworn police officers
Compared, 2022.Ozark had 5.1 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 23 of the 26 Missouri cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 7.9: Ozark had fewer than 87% 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

Ozark R-VI School District

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

Schools in Ozark →
$11,695
per pupil · MO $14,569
5,964
students
$82.5 million
long-term debt

Of the $11,695 per pupil, $6,461 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 45%State 48%Federal 8%

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

Also serving Ozark

Logan-Rogersville R-VIII School District · $12,301 per pupil

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

Elections · 2024 general election

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 Ozark alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Christian County’s results.

President · Christian County’s results50,789 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican75.6%38,379 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat23.3%11,850 votes

Others: 1.1% (560 votes).

Most votes in Christian County: Donald J Trump

Missouri: Trump 58.5%, Harris 40.1%

The county’s page

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

Christian 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 Ozark

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Ozark.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
  2. 2
    Missouri HouseState representatives
  3. 3
    Missouri SenateState senator
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Missouri

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

Next door

How Ozark compares with the towns next door

Ozark spent $613 per resident in 2022; the 2 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $466 to $568. 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
Fremont Hills$466$4,281
Nixa$568$1,921
Ozark$613$1,926

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 Ozark’s government

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

The Handbook →

Questions about Ozark’s government

How much does Ozark spend per resident?

About $804 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $613 was less than 81% of 26 Missouri cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Ozark?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,926 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 ozarkmissouri.com.

Who runs Ozark’s government?

See ozarkmissouri.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Ozark yet.

How did Ozark vote in 2024?

Missouri counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Ozark alone. Christian County, where 100% of Ozark lies, voted Trump 75.6%, Harris 23.3% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Ozark?

108 full-time and 99 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $524,877 (about $6.3M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Ozark in the state legislature?

State Senate District 29 (Mike Moon) and State House District 140 (Jamie Ray Gragg). The House district also covers 1 neighboring town. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Ozark’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 →