Rhea County Courthouse · Photo: Calvin Beale · Public domainDayton spent less per resident in 2022 than 93% of similar cities
Dayton’s city government spent $20.2 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $2,755 per resident. Water and other utilities ($67.3 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Dayton is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,788 per resident in 2022: less than 93% of them
Dayton’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,788 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 15 Tennessee cities of 2,500–9,999 that run their own schools: the median was $2,910, and the middle half spent $2,300–$3,558. Dayton spent less than 93% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($2.2 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 2,500–9,999 that run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Dayton itself left out).
About $2,755 per resident a year, or $7.55 a day
Schools are part of the city’s budget, so they lead the receipt: 50% of day-to-day spending.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Dayton runs its own schools, so school spending is part of this budget. Comparisons are with Tennessee cities of 2,500–9,999 that run their own schools.
Day-to-day spending is up 54% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Dayton 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: $1,788 · 2023: $1,827 · 2024: $2,755.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $878 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.41% 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 Dayton’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 Dayton’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Dayton →
Who’s in charge in Dayton
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Dayton’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on daytontn.net ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 31 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (7,347).
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.
Dayton City Elementary School District
Dayton’s elementary school district. The schools are run by Dayton, so this money is part of the budget above.
Of the $11,730 per pupil, $7,739 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.
Dayton’s votes are counted by county
Tennessee reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Dayton alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Rhea County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican82.9%11,974 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat16.0%2,312 votesOthers: 1.1% (158 votes).
Most votes in Rhea County: Donald J Trump
Tennessee: Trump 64.2%, Harris 34.5%
100% of Dayton lies in Rhea County. Every 2024 race in Rhea County is on the county’s page.
Rhea 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 Dayton.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: daytontn.net ↗
- 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 Dayton compares with the towns next door
Dayton spent $1,788 per resident in 2022. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Graysville | estimate | $705 |
| Dayton | $1,788 | $878 |
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 Dayton’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Dayton’s government
How much does Dayton spend per resident?
About $2,755 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 $1,788 was less than 93% of 15 Tennessee cities of 2,500–9,999 that run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Dayton?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $878 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.41% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.50% across Tennessee. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see daytontn.net.
Who runs Dayton’s government?
See daytontn.net for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Dayton yet.
How did Dayton vote in 2024?
Tennessee counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Dayton alone. Rhea County, where 100% of Dayton lies, voted Trump 82.9%, Harris 16.0% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Dayton?
239 full-time and 37 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $1.1M (about $12.8M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Dayton in the state legislature?
State Senate District 1 (Adam Lowe) and State House District 31 (Ron Travis). The House district also covers five other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Dayton’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 →