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Downtown SenecaPhoto: TheWhitePelican · CC BY-SA 3.0
Town Hall · Seneca

Seneca spent more per resident in 2022 than 84% of similar cities

Seneca’s city government spent $1.9 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $783 per resident. That is its newest year reported to the Census Bureau. Water and other utilities ($364,000) are counted separately.

Election Day

Tomorrow

General election in Missouri.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$1.9M
year to December 31, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$783
In 2022: $783, more than 84% of 356 similar cities
Long-term debt
$3.2M
end of 2022, reported
City staff, 2025
11
full-time · 18 part-time · March payroll $69,625
Typical tax bill
$780
0.59% of home value · MO 0.85%

What stands out about how Seneca is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

Spends more than most similar citiesIn 2022: $783 per resident, more than 84% of 356 similar cities.Runs its own water & sewer52% of day-to-day spending goes to water, sewer and trash (2022).A shared school districtShares Seneca R-VII School District with 1 other town.Lower tax billsThe typical bill is $780 a year: 0.59% of the home’s value, vs 0.85% across Missouri.
Compared with similar places

$783 per resident in 2022: more than 84% of them

Seneca’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($783 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. Seneca spent more than 84% of them.

Middle half of the group, $137–$614Median $313Seneca

Includes sewer and trash ($803,000), 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; Seneca itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $783 per resident a year, or $2.15 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 43%.

Where the money comes from
Sales taxes 37%Fees & charges 32%Utility sales 15%Interest, fines & other 9%From the state 4%Property taxes 3%Other taxes & licenses <1%
Not in the receipt.Interest on debt $140,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $2.4 million.
Over the years

No trend yet

Seneca reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau (2023 is an estimate), so there is no trend yet.

City staff
11

full-time in March 2025, down from 14 in 2022.

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $780 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.59% of the home’s value, vs 0.85% across Missouri.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Missouri$1,948
Seneca$780
$780
typical bill a year
0.59%
effective rate
$132,600
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Seneca

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

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

One full-time city employee for every 218 residents

On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (2,394).

By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025

Police7 + 3 pt
Administration & buildings1 + 10 pt
Courts, inspections & corrections1 + 1 pt
Water & other utilities1 + 1 pt
Roads & transportation1
Sewer & trash0 + 2 pt
Fire0 + 1 pt
11
full-time
18
part-time
$69,625
payroll for March 2025
$835,500
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$62,900
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
7
sworn police officers
Compared, 2022.Seneca had 5.8 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 277 of the 356 Missouri cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 3.6: Seneca had more than 68% 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

Seneca R-VII School District

Seneca’s K–12 school district, shared with Loma Linda. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Seneca →
$10,854
per pupil · MO $14,569
1,498
students
$12.9 million
long-term debt

Of the $10,854 per pupil, $6,747 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 33%State 52%Federal 15%

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

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Seneca’s votes are counted by county

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

President · Newton County’s results29,097 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican78.8%22,923 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat20.2%5,867 votes

Others: 1.1% (307 votes).

Most votes in Newton County: Donald J Trump

Missouri: Trump 58.5%, Harris 40.1%

The county’s page

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

Newton 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 Seneca

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Seneca.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  2. 2
    Missouri HouseState representatives
    District 159
  3. 3
    Missouri SenateState senator
    Jill Carter
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
    Mike Kehoe
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
    Eric Burlison
  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 Seneca’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Seneca’s government

How much does Seneca spend per resident?

About $783 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 $783 was more than 84% of 356 Missouri cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Seneca?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $780 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.59% 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 Seneca’s government?

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

How did Seneca vote in 2024?

Missouri counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Seneca alone. Newton County, where 100% of Seneca lies, voted Trump 78.8%, Harris 20.2% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Seneca?

11 full-time and 18 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $69,625 (about $835,500 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Seneca in the state legislature?

State Senate District 32 (Jill Carter) and State House District 159. The House district also covers 16 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Seneca’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 →