Photo: G. Edward Johnson · CC BY 4.0Bristow runs its own hospital
Bristow’s city government spent $5.2 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $1,248 per resident. That is its newest year reported to the Census Bureau. It also runs a hospital ($903,000), water utilities ($980,000) and an airport ($75,000), counted separately. Census Bureau figures.
What stands out about how Bristow is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
About $1,248 per resident a year, or $3.42 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 24%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,248 per resident in 2022: more than 73% of them
Bristow’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,248 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–$1,295. Bristow spent more than 73% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($688,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Oklahoma cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Bristow itself left out).
No trend yet
Bristow reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau (2024 is an estimate), so there is no trend yet.
full-time in March 2025 (hospital, health & welfare left out), down from 58 in 2022.
The typical homeowner pays $983 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.84% 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 Bristow’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 Bristow’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Bristow →
Who’s in charge in Bristow
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Bristow’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on cityofbristow.org ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 80 residents, not counting hospital, health & welfare staff
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 (4,179).
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.
Bristow Public Schools
Bristow’s K–12 school district, shared with Slick. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $12,162 per pupil, $6,788 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.
Bristow’s votes are counted by county
Oklahoma reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Bristow alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Creek County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican77.0%24,098 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat21.2%6,643 votesOthers: 1.8% (571 votes).
Most votes in Creek County: Donald J Trump
Oklahoma: Trump 66.2%, Harris 31.9%
100% of Bristow lies in Creek County. Every 2024 race in Creek County is on the county’s page.
Creek 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 Bristow.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: cityofbristow.org ↗
- 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 Bristow’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Bristow’s government
How much does Bristow spend per resident?
About $1,248 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. Bristow also runs a hospital ($903,000), counted separately. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,248 was more than 73% of 66 Oklahoma cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Bristow?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $983 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.84% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.80% across Oklahoma. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cityofbristow.org.
Who runs Bristow’s government?
See cityofbristow.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Bristow yet.
How did Bristow vote in 2024?
Oklahoma counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Bristow alone. Creek County, where 100% of Bristow lies, voted Trump 77.0%, Harris 21.2% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Bristow?
52 full-time and 15 part-time employees in March 2025 (plus 1 full-time hospital, health & welfare staff), with a March payroll of $214,284 (about $2.6M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Bristow in the state legislature?
State Senate District 12 (Todd Gollihare) and State House District 29 (Kyle Hilbert). The House district also covers nine other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Bristow’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 →