Photo: Ralf Peter Reimann · CC BY-SA 2.0Dickson spent more per resident in 2022 than 93% of similar cities
Dickson’s city government spent $29.1 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $1,780 per resident. Water and other utilities ($123.2 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Dickson is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,785 per resident in 2022: more than 93% of them
Dickson’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,785 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 56 Tennessee cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $819, and the middle half spent $453–$1,213. Dickson spent more than 93% of 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 don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Dickson itself left out).
About $1,780 per resident a year, or $4.88 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 38%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 5% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Dickson 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: $1,785 · 2023: $1,488 · 2024: $1,780. Per resident it went from $1,785 to $1,780 (down 0%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 15,543 to 16,343.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $1,542 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.53% 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 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.
Tax bills are one input to Dickson’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Dickson →
Who’s in charge in Dickson
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Dickson’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on cityofdickson.com ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 44 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 (16,343).
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.
Dickson County School District
Dickson’s K–12 school district, shared with Burns, Charlotte, Slayden, Vanleer, White Bluff. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $11,642 per pupil, $6,814 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.
Dickson’s votes are counted by county
Tennessee reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Dickson alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Dickson County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican75.4%19,002 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat23.5%5,913 votesOthers: 1.1% (289 votes).
Most votes in Dickson County: Donald J Trump
Tennessee: Trump 64.2%, Harris 34.5%
100% of Dickson lies in Dickson County. Every 2024 race in Dickson County is on the county’s page.
Dickson 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 Dickson.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: cityofdickson.com ↗
- 2Tennessee HouseDickson is split between 2 districts
- 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 Dickson compares with the towns next door
Dickson spent $1,785 per resident in 2022; the neighbor that reported 2022 spent $646. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Burns | $646 | $1,395 |
| Dickson | $1,785 | $1,542 |
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
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Dickson’s government
How much does Dickson spend per resident?
About $1,780 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 $1,785 was more than 93% of 56 Tennessee cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Dickson?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,542 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.53% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.50% across Tennessee. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cityofdickson.com.
Who runs Dickson’s government?
See cityofdickson.com for current officials. 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?
Tennessee counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Dickson alone. Dickson County, where 100% of Dickson lies, voted Trump 75.4%, Harris 23.5% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Dickson?
375 full-time and 15 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $1.9M (about $22.5M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Dickson in the state legislature?
Dickson is split among 2 State House districts, so your address decides. The Tennessee Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Its State Senate district is District 23 (Kerry Roberts). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Dickson’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 →