Photo: Jeffrey Beall · CC BY 3.0Blackwell spent more per resident in 2022 than 89% of similar cities
Blackwell’s city government spent $10.4 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $1,600 per resident. That is its newest year reported to the Census Bureau. It also runs a hospital ($6 million) and water utilities ($7.6 million), counted separately. Census Bureau figures.
What stands out about how Blackwell is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
About $1,600 per resident a year, or $4.38 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 26%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,600 per resident in 2022: more than 89% of them
Blackwell’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,600 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 66 Oklahoma cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $944, and the middle half spent $710–$1,263. Blackwell spent more than 89% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($1.2 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 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Blackwell itself left out).
No trend yet
Blackwell reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau (2024 is an estimate), so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $494 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.58% 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 Blackwell’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 Blackwell’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Blackwell →
Who’s in charge in Blackwell
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Blackwell’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on cityofblackwell.com ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 71 residents, not counting hospital, health & welfare staff
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 (6,526).
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.
Blackwell Public Schools
Blackwell’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $12,481 per pupil, $6,700 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.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Blackwell’s votes are counted by county
Oklahoma reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Blackwell alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Kay County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican73.8%12,483 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat24.5%4,136 votesOthers: 1.7% (294 votes).
Most votes in Kay County: Donald J Trump
Oklahoma: Trump 66.2%, Harris 31.9%
100% of Blackwell lies in Kay County. Every 2024 race in Kay County is on the county’s page.
Kay 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 Blackwell.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: cityofblackwell.com ↗
- 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 Blackwell’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Blackwell’s government
How much does Blackwell spend per resident?
About $1,600 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. Blackwell also runs a hospital ($6 million), counted separately. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,600 was more than 89% of 66 Oklahoma cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Blackwell?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $494 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.58% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.80% across Oklahoma. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cityofblackwell.com.
Who runs Blackwell’s government?
See cityofblackwell.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Blackwell yet.
How did Blackwell vote in 2024?
Oklahoma counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Blackwell alone. Kay County, where 100% of Blackwell lies, voted Trump 73.8%, Harris 24.5% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Blackwell?
92 full-time and 13 part-time employees in March 2022 (plus 0 full-time hospital, health & welfare staff), with a March payroll of $384,594 (about $4.6M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Blackwell in the state legislature?
State Senate District 19 (Roland Pederson) and State House District 38 (John Pfeiffer). The House district also covers 31 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Blackwell’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 →