Photo: Brian Stansberry · CC BY 3.0Carthage spent more per resident in 2022 than 89% of similar cities
Carthage’s town government spent $2.8 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $1,212 per resident. Water and other utilities ($419,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Carthage is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$1,212 per resident in 2022: more than 89% of them
Carthage’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,212 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 113 Tennessee cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $574, and the middle half spent $297–$812. Carthage spent more than 89% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($951,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Tennessee cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Carthage itself left out).
About $1,212 per resident a year, or $3.32 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 34%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Carthage reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $1,342 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.52% 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 Carthage’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 Carthage’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Carthage →
Who’s in charge in Carthage
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Carthage’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on townofcarthagetn.gov ↗.
One full-time town employee for every 75 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 (2,331).
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.
Smith County School District
Carthage’s K–12 school district, shared with Gordonsville, South Carthage. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $11,672 per pupil, $7,098 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.
Carthage’s votes are counted by county
Tennessee reports official results by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Carthage alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Smith County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican82.0%7,655 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat17.1%1,595 votesOthers: 0.9% (86 votes).
Most votes in Smith County: Donald J Trump
Tennessee: Trump 64.2%, Harris 34.5%
100% of Carthage lies in Smith County. Every 2024 race in Smith County is on the county’s page.
Smith 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 Carthage.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: townofcarthagetn.gov ↗
- 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.
Reach Carthage’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Carthage’s government
How much does Carthage spend per resident?
About $1,212 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 $1,212 was more than 89% of 113 Tennessee cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Carthage?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,342 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.52% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.50% across Tennessee. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see townofcarthagetn.gov.
Who runs Carthage’s government?
See townofcarthagetn.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Carthage yet.
How did Carthage vote in 2024?
Tennessee counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Carthage alone. Smith County, where 100% of Carthage lies, voted Trump 82.0%, Harris 17.1% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Carthage?
31 full-time and 2 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $116,636 (about $1.4M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Carthage in the state legislature?
State Senate District 15 (Paul Bailey) and State House District 40 (Michael Hale). The House district also covers nine other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Carthage’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 →