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Town Hall · Temple

Temple spent more per resident in 2022 than 75% of similar cities

Temple’s town government spent $821,000 on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $897 per resident. Water and other utilities ($34,000) are counted separately.

Election Day

Tomorrow

General election in Oklahoma.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$821,000
year to June 30, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$897
In 2022: $897, more than 75% of 181 similar cities
Long-term debt
$503,000
end of FY2022, reported
Town staff, 2022
6
full-time · 12 part-time · March payroll $23,623 · Census estimate
Typical tax bill
$429
0.83% of home value · OK 0.80%

What stands out about how Temple is run

Read from the town’s budget and official records.

Spends more than most similar citiesIn 2022: $897 per resident, more than 75% of 181 similar cities.Runs its own water & sewer25% of day-to-day spending goes to water, sewer and trash (2022).Low bills, a higher rateThe typical bill is $429 a year: 0.83% of the home’s value, vs 0.80% across Oklahoma.
Compared with similar places

$897 per resident in 2022: more than 75% of them

Temple’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($897 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 $677, and the middle half spent $497–$902. Temple spent more than 75% of them.

Middle half of the group, $497–$902Median $677Temple

Includes sewer and trash ($179,000), 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
181

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

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $897 per resident a year, or $2.46 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 22%.

Where the money comes from
Utility sales 30%Fees & charges 29%Sales taxes 18%From the state 10%Interest, fines & other 5%From the federal government 5%From other local governments 4%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $38,000; interest on debt $18,000; payments to other governments $10,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $921,000.
About “Other”.74% of Temple’s day-to-day spending ($611,000) is filed by the Census Bureau outside the named functions above, so the receipt can’t say what it buys.
Over the years

No trend yet

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

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $429 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.83% of the home’s value, vs 0.80% across Oklahoma.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Oklahoma$1,599
Temple$429
$429
typical bill a year
0.83%
effective rate
$51,600
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Temple

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

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

One full-time town employee for every 153 residents

On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (915).

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

Administration & buildings1 + 11 pt
Sewer & trash1
Water & other utilities1
Health & welfare0 + 1 pt
Other3
6
full-time
12
part-time
$23,623
payroll for March 2022
$283,476
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$37,400
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
Estimates.Temple didn’t report its staff figures; these are the Census Bureau’s estimates, so they aren’t compared with other towns.

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

Temple Public Schools

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

Schools in Temple →
$16,387
per pupil · OK $12,210
168
students
$495,000
long-term debt

Of the $16,387 per pupil, $8,190 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 24%State 50%Federal 26%

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

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Temple’s votes are counted by county

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

President · Cotton County’s results2,506 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican82.5%2,067 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat15.6%392 votes

Others: 1.9% (47 votes).

Most votes in Cotton County: Donald J Trump

Oklahoma: Trump 66.2%, Harris 31.9%

The county’s page

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

Cotton 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 Temple

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Temple.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your townTown government
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  2. 2
    Oklahoma HouseState representatives
    Trey Caldwell
  3. 3
    Oklahoma SenateState senator
    Spencer Kern
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
    Kevin Stitt
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
    Tom Cole
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Oklahoma
    James LankfordAlan Armstrong

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

Reach Temple’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Temple’s government

How much does Temple spend per resident?

About $897 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 $897 was more than 75% of 181 Oklahoma cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Temple?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $429 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.83% 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 Temple’s government?

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

How did Temple vote in 2024?

Oklahoma counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Temple alone. Cotton County, where 100% of Temple lies, voted Trump 82.5%, Harris 15.6% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Temple?

6 full-time and 12 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $23,623 (about $283,476 a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.

Who represents Temple in the state legislature?

State Senate District 31 (Spencer Kern) and State House District 63 (Trey Caldwell). The House district also covers 22 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Temple’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 →