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Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish Historic DistrictAssumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish Historic District · Photo: Moniteau · CC BY-SA 4.0
Town Hall · Prairie Home

How is Prairie Home run?

Prairie Home’s city government spent $123,000 on day-to-day services in the year to July 31, 2022, about $439 per resident. Water and other utilities ($36,000) are counted separately.

Day-to-day spending, 2022
$123,000
year to July 31, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$439
In 2022: $439, more than 63% of 356 similar cities
Long-term debt
$203,000
end of FY2022, reported
City staff, 2022
0
full-time · 11 part-time · March payroll $4,152
Typical tax bill
$1,069
0.81% of home value · MO 0.85%

What stands out about how Prairie Home is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

★ What stands out · Your share of the 2022 budget

About $439 per resident a year, or $1.20 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 49%.

Where the money comes from
Fees & charges 34%Utility sales 26%From the federal government 12%Sales taxes 12%Property taxes 10%From the state 5%From other local governments 1%Interest, fines & other 1%Other taxes & licenses <1%
Not in the receipt.Interest on debt $5,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $164,000.
Compared with similar places

$439 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities

Prairie Home’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($439 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–$618. Prairie Home spent more than 63% of them.

Middle half of the group, $137–$618Median $313Prairie Home

Includes sewer and trash ($60,000), 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; Prairie Home itself left out).

Over the years

No trend yet

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

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $1,069 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.81% of the home’s value, vs 0.85% across Missouri.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Missouri$1,948
Prairie Home$1,069
$1,069
typical bill a year
0.81%
effective rate
$131,300
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Prairie Home

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

Check Prairie Home’s own website for current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Prairie Home yet.
The school district

Prairie Home R-V School District

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

Schools in Prairie Home →
$15,514
per pupil · MO $14,569
142
students
$1.2 million
long-term debt

Of the $15,514 per pupil, $8,366 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 50%State 36%Federal 14%

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

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Prairie Home’s votes are counted by county

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

President · Cooper County’s results8,835 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican72.4%6,393 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat26.6%2,347 votes

Others: 1.1% (95 votes).

Most votes in Cooper County: Donald J Trump

Missouri: Trump 58.5%, Harris 40.1%

The county’s page

100% of Prairie Home lies in Cooper County. Every 2024 race in Cooper County is on the county’s page.

Cooper 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 Prairie Home

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Prairie Home.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  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.

Reach Prairie Home’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Prairie Home’s government

How much does Prairie Home spend per resident?

About $439 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to July 31, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $439 was more than 63% of 356 Missouri cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Prairie Home?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,069 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.81% 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 Prairie Home’s government?

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

How did Prairie Home vote in 2024?

Missouri counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Prairie Home alone. Cooper County, where 100% of Prairie Home lies, voted Trump 72.4%, Harris 26.6% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Prairie Home?

0 full-time and 11 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $4,152 (about $49,824 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Prairie Home in the state legislature?

State Senate District 21 (Kurtis Gregory) and State House District 48 (Tim Taylor). The House district also covers 38 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Prairie Home’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 →