Photo: Kbh3rd · CC BY 4.0Palmyra spent less per resident in 2022 than 82% of similar cities
Palmyra’s city government spent $1.7 million on day-to-day services in the year to April 30, 2022, about $469 per resident. Water and other utilities ($4.8 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Palmyra is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$469 per resident in 2022: less than 82% of them
Palmyra’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($469 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. Palmyra spent less than 82% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($437,000), 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; Palmyra itself left out).
About $469 per resident a year, or $1.28 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 40%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Palmyra reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $1,357 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.74% 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 Palmyra’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 Palmyra’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Palmyra →
Who’s in charge in Palmyra
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Palmyra’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on greatriverroad.com/hannibal/palmyra.htm ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 112 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 (3,578).
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.
Palmyra R-I School District
Palmyra’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $11,067 per pupil, $6,725 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.
Palmyra’s votes are counted by county
Missouri reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Palmyra alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Marion County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican76.0%9,991 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat23.1%3,032 votesOthers: 1.0% (130 votes).
Most votes in Marion County: Donald J Trump
Missouri: Trump 58.5%, Harris 40.1%
100% of Palmyra lies in Marion County. Every 2024 race in Marion County is on the county’s page.
Marion 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 Palmyra.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: greatriverroad.com/hannibal/palmyra.htm ↗
- 2Missouri HouseState representatives
- 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 Palmyra’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Palmyra’s government
How much does Palmyra spend per resident?
About $469 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 $469 was less than 82% of 79 Missouri cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Palmyra?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,357 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.74% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.85% across Missouri. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see greatriverroad.com/hannibal/palmyra.htm.
Who runs Palmyra’s government?
See greatriverroad.com/hannibal/palmyra.htm for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Palmyra yet.
How did Palmyra vote in 2024?
Missouri counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Palmyra alone. Marion County, where 100% of Palmyra lies, voted Trump 76.0%, Harris 23.1% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Palmyra?
32 full-time and 4 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $135,931 (about $1.6M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Palmyra in the state legislature?
State Senate District 18 (Cindy O'Laughlin) and State House District 5 (Louis Riggs). The House district also covers six other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Palmyra’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 →