Photo: Larry D. Moore · CC BY 4.0Altus spent more per resident in 2022 than 93% of similar cities
Altus’ city government spent $30 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2023, about $1,605 per resident. That is its newest year reported to the Census Bureau. Water and other utilities ($22.4 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Altus is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,466 per resident in 2022: more than 93% of them
Altus’ day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,466 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 27 Oklahoma cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,025, and the middle half spent $820–$1,268. Altus spent more than 93% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($6 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 →
Oklahoma cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Altus itself left out).
About $1,605 per resident a year, or $4.40 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 28%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 13% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Altus reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.
Day-to-day spending by fiscal year
Per resident: 2022: $1,466 · 2023: $1,605.
full-time in March 2025, up from 252 in 2022.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $923 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.61% of the home’s value, vs 0.80% across Oklahoma.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Altus’ 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 Altus’ Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Altus →
Who’s in charge in Altus
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Altus’ meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on altusok.gov ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 63 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2023 finance file (18,717).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Altus Public Schools
Altus’ K–12 school district, shared with Elmer. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $10,941 per pupil, $5,861 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.
Oklahoma districts overall: 42% local, 45% state, 14% federal.
Navajo Public Schools · $11,433 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Altus’ votes are counted by county
Oklahoma reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Altus alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Jackson County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican78.2%6,295 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat19.9%1,602 votesOthers: 1.9% (156 votes).
Most votes in Jackson County: Donald J Trump
Oklahoma: Trump 66.2%, Harris 31.9%
100% of Altus lies in Jackson County. Every 2024 race in Jackson County is on the county’s page.
Jackson 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 Altus.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: altusok.gov ↗
- 2Oklahoma HouseState representatives
- 3Oklahoma SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Oklahoma
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
Reach Altus’ government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Altus’ government
How much does Altus spend per resident?
About $1,605 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2023, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,466 was more than 93% of 27 Oklahoma cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Altus?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $923 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.61% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.80% across Oklahoma. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see altusok.gov.
Who runs Altus’ government?
See altusok.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Altus yet.
How did Altus vote in 2024?
Oklahoma counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Altus alone. Jackson County, where 100% of Altus lies, voted Trump 78.2%, Harris 19.9% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Altus?
295 full-time and 29 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $1.4M (about $16.5M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Altus in the state legislature?
State Senate District 38 (Brent Howard) and State House District 52 (Gerrid Kendrix). The House district also covers 17 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Altus’ 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 →