Photo: Ttlouderback · CC BY-SA 4.0Arlington spent more per resident in 2022 than 100% of similar cities
Arlington’s town government spent $70.4 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $4,889 per resident.
What stands out about how Arlington is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$5,909 per resident in 2022: more than 100% of them
Arlington’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($5,909 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 15 Tennessee cities of 10,000–24,999 that run their own schools: the median was $2,960, and the middle half spent $2,246–$3,382. Arlington spent more than 100% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($3.9 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 →
Tennessee cities of 10,000–24,999 that run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Arlington itself left out).
About $4,889 per resident a year, or $13.39 a day
Schools are part of the town’s budget, so they lead the receipt: 77% of day-to-day spending.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Arlington runs its own schools, so school spending is part of this budget. Comparisons are with Tennessee cities of 10,000–24,999 that run their own schools.
Day-to-day spending is up 1% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Arlington 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: $5,909 · 2024: $4,889. Per resident it went from $5,909 to $4,889 (down 17%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 11,748 to 14,396.
full-time in March 2025, down from 743 in 2022. Both are Census estimates.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $3,411 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.80% of the home’s value, vs 0.50% across Tennessee.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Arlington’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 Arlington’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Arlington →
Who’s in charge in Arlington
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Arlington’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on townofarlington.org ↗.
One full-time town employee for every 26 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (14,396).
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.
Arlington Community School District
Arlington’s K–12 school district. The schools are run by Arlington, so this money is part of the budget above.
Of the $11,859 per pupil, $7,100 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.
Tennessee districts overall: 40% local, 44% state, 16% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Arlington’s votes are counted by county
Tennessee reports official results by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Arlington alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Shelby County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat61.8%201,759 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican36.4%118,917 votesOthers: 1.8% (5,821 votes).
Most votes in Shelby County: Kamala D Harris
Tennessee: Trump 64.2%, Harris 34.5%
100% of Arlington lies in Shelby County. Every 2024 race in Shelby County is on the county’s page.
Shelby 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 Arlington.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: townofarlington.org ↗
- 2Tennessee HouseState representatives
- 3Tennessee SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Tennessee
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Arlington compares with the towns next door
Arlington spent $5,909 per resident in 2022; the 2 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $1,106 to $2,207. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
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 Arlington’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Arlington’s government
How much does Arlington spend per resident?
About $4,889 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $5,909 was more than 100% of 15 Tennessee cities of 10,000–24,999 that run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Arlington?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,411 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.80% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.50% across Tennessee. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see townofarlington.org.
Who runs Arlington’s government?
See townofarlington.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Arlington yet.
How did Arlington vote in 2024?
Tennessee counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Arlington alone. Shelby County, where 100% of Arlington lies, voted Harris 61.8%, Trump 36.4% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Arlington?
545 full-time and 95 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $3.7M (about $44.6M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Arlington in the state legislature?
Arlington is split among 2 State Senate districts, so your address decides. The Tennessee Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Arlington’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 →