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Dickson Oklahoma Elementary SchoolPhoto: Larry D. Moore · CC BY 4.0
Town Hall · Dickson

Dickson spent less per resident in 2022 than 81% of similar cities

Dickson’s town government spent $556,000 on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $443 per resident.

Election Day

Tomorrow

General election in Oklahoma.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$556,000
year to June 30, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$443
In 2022: $443, less than 81% of 181 similar cities
Long-term debt
Not reported
end of FY2022, reported
Town staff, 2022
7
full-time · 27 part-time · March payroll $36,141
Typical tax bill
$1,378
0.68% of home value · OK 0.80%

What stands out about how Dickson is run

Read from the town’s budget and official records.

Compared with similar places

$443 per resident in 2022: less than 81% of them

Dickson’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($443 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 181 Oklahoma cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $678, and the middle half spent $501–$902. Dickson spent less than 81% of them.

Middle half of the group, $501–$902Median $678Dickson

Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →

The group
181

Oklahoma cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Dickson itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $443 per resident a year, or $1.21 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 48%.

Where the money comes from
Sales taxes 49%Interest, fines & other 36%From the state 13%From other local governments 2%Other taxes & licenses <1%
Over the years

No trend yet

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

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $1,378 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.68% of the home’s value, vs 0.80% across Oklahoma.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Oklahoma$1,599
Dickson$1,378
Ardmore$1,378
$1,378
typical bill a year
0.68%
effective rate
$201,300
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Dickson

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

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

One full-time town employee for every 179 residents

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 (1,256).

By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022

Fire0 + 17 pt
Police5 + 2 pt
Administration & buildings2 + 6 pt
Courts, inspections & corrections0 + 2 pt
7
full-time
27
part-time
$36,141
payroll for March 2022
$433,692
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$30,200
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
5
sworn police officers
Compared, 2022.Dickson had 5.6 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 132 of the 181 Oklahoma cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 7.5: Dickson had fewer than 63% 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

Dickson Public Schools

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

Schools in Dickson →
$11,311
per pupil · OK $12,210
1,270
students
$7.1 million
long-term debt

Of the $11,311 per pupil, $6,963 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 36%State 55%Federal 9%

Oklahoma districts overall: 42% local, 45% state, 14% federal.

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Dickson’s votes are counted by county

Oklahoma reports official results by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Dickson alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Carter County’s results.

President · Carter County’s results19,488 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican76.7%14,945 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat21.9%4,277 votes

Others: 1.4% (266 votes).

Most votes in Carter County: Donald J Trump

Oklahoma: Trump 66.2%, Harris 31.9%

The county’s page

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

Carter 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 Dickson

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Dickson.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your townTown government
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  2. 2
    Oklahoma HouseState representatives
  3. 3
    Oklahoma SenateState senator
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Oklahoma

Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.

Next door

How Dickson compares with the towns next door

Dickson spent $443 per resident in 2022. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.

Spends the leastSpends the mostEstimate or no figures
TownDay-to-day, per resident (2022)Tax bill
Ardmoreestimate$1,378
Dickson$443$1,378

Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).

Reach Dickson’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Dickson’s government

How much does Dickson spend per resident?

About $443 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $443 was less than 81% of 181 Oklahoma cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Dickson?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,378 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.68% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.80% across Oklahoma. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the town’s assessor.

Who runs Dickson’s government?

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

How did Dickson vote in 2024?

Oklahoma counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Dickson alone. Carter County, where 100% of Dickson lies, voted Trump 76.7%, Harris 21.9% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Dickson?

7 full-time and 27 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $36,141 (about $433,692 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Dickson in the state legislature?

State Senate District 14 (Jerry Alvord) and State House District 49 (Josh Cantrell). The House district also covers 10 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Dickson’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 →