Photo: Ben Evans · Public domainLakeland spent less per resident in 2022 than 80% of similar cities
Lakeland’s city government spent $36.3 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $2,635 per resident.
What stands out about how Lakeland is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$2,207 per resident in 2022: less than 80% of them
Lakeland’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($2,207 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 15 Tennessee cities of 10,000–24,999 that run their own schools: the median was $3,127, and the middle half spent $2,438–$3,616. Lakeland spent less than 80% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($2.7 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; Lakeland itself left out).
About $2,635 per resident a year, or $7.22 a day
Schools are part of the city’s budget, so they lead the receipt: 73% of day-to-day spending.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Lakeland 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 30% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Lakeland 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: $2,207 · 2024: $2,635. Per resident it went from $2,207 to $2,635 (up 19%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 12,657 to 13,772.
full-time in March 2025, up from 231 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 $3,880 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.00% 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 Lakeland’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 Lakeland’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Lakeland →
Who’s in charge in Lakeland
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time city employee for every 55 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (13,772).
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.
Lakeland School System District
Lakeland’s K–12 school district. The schools are run by Lakeland, so this money is part of the budget above.
Of the $11,271 per pupil, $6,956 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.
Lakeland’s votes are counted by county
Tennessee reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Lakeland 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 Lakeland 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 Lakeland.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 2Tennessee HouseLakeland 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 Lakeland compares with the towns next door
Lakeland spent $2,207 per resident in 2022; the 2 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $2,728 to $5,909. 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 Lakeland’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Lakeland’s government
How much does Lakeland spend per resident?
About $2,635 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 $2,207 was less than 80% of 15 Tennessee cities of 10,000–24,999 that run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Lakeland?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,880 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.00% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.50% across Tennessee. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the city’s assessor.
Who runs Lakeland’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Lakeland yet.
How did Lakeland vote in 2024?
Tennessee counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Lakeland alone. Shelby County, where 100% of Lakeland lies, voted Harris 61.8%, Trump 36.4% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Lakeland?
250 full-time and 66 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $1.5M (about $18.3M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Lakeland in the state legislature?
Lakeland is split among 2 State House districts and 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 Lakeland’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 →