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Moscow TN 01-2012 015Photo: Thomas R Machnitzki ([email protected]) · CC BY 3.0
Town Hall · Moscow

Moscow spent more per resident in 2022 than 88% of similar cities

Moscow’s city government spent $647,000 on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $1,179 per resident. Water and other utilities ($259,000) are counted separately.

Day-to-day spending, 2022
$647,000
year to June 30, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$1,179
In 2022: $1,179, more than 88% of 113 similar cities
Long-term debt
Not reported
end of FY2022, reported
City staff, 2022
11
full-time · 8 part-time · March payroll $32,073
Typical tax bill
$603
0.41% of home value · TN 0.50%

What stands out about how Moscow is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

Spends more than most similar citiesIn 2022: $1,179 per resident, more than 88% of 113 similar cities.Runs its own water & sewer41% of day-to-day spending goes to water, sewer and trash (2022).A shared school districtShares Fayette County School District with 6+ other towns.Lower tax billsThe typical bill is $603 a year: 0.41% of the home’s value, vs 0.50% across Tennessee.
Compared with similar places

$1,179 per resident in 2022: more than 88% of them

Moscow’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,179 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. Moscow spent more than 88% of them.

Middle half of the group, $297–$812Median $574Moscow

Includes sewer and trash ($114,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →

The group
113

Tennessee cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Moscow itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $1,179 per resident a year, or $3.23 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 47%.

Where the money comes from
Property taxes 40%Utility sales 22%Fees & charges 21%From the state 10%Interest, fines & other 4%Sales taxes 3%
Not in the receipt.With the enterprises, the whole budget was $906,000.
Over the years

No trend yet

Moscow reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $603 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.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Tennessee$1,442
Moscow$603
$603
typical bill a year
0.41%
effective rate
$147,800
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Moscow’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 Moscow’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Moscow →

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Moscow

Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.

Check Moscow’s own website for current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Moscow yet.
Who works for Moscow

One full-time city employee for every 50 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 (549).

By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022

Administration & buildings3 + 6 pt
Police6
Sewer & trash1
Water & other utilities1
Courts, inspections & corrections0 + 1 pt
Other0 + 1 pt
11
full-time
8
part-time
$32,073
payroll for March 2022
$384,876
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$29,900
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
6
sworn police officers
Compared, 2022.Moscow had 20.0 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 85 of the 113 Tennessee cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 5.9: Moscow had more than 96% of them. Same group and year as the budget comparison.

The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.

The school district

Fayette County School District

Moscow’s K–12 school district, shared with Braden, Gallaway, La Grange, Oakland, Piperton and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Moscow →
$12,172
per pupil · TN $13,059
3,195
students
$11.7 million
long-term debt

Of the $12,172 per pupil, $6,057 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.

The district: schools, scores and graduation →

Where the district’s money comes from
Local 31%State 46%Federal 23%

Tennessee districts overall: 40% local, 44% state, 16% federal.

School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.

Elections · 2024 general election

Moscow’s votes are counted by county

Tennessee reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Moscow alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Fayette County’s results.

President · Fayette County’s results23,696 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican70.7%16,756 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat28.4%6,720 votes

Others: 0.9% (220 votes).

Most votes in Fayette County: Donald J Trump

Tennessee: Trump 64.2%, Harris 34.5%

The county’s page

100% of Moscow lies in Fayette County. Every 2024 race in Fayette County is on the county’s page.

Fayette County’s 2024 results →
DemocratRepublicanLibertarianIndependent / other

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.

Who represents Moscow

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Moscow.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  2. 2
    Tennessee HouseState representatives
    Ron Gant
  3. 3
    Tennessee SenateState senator
    Page Walley
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
    Bill Lee
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
    David Kustoff
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Tennessee
    Marsha BlackburnBill Hagerty

Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.

Reach Moscow’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Moscow’s government

How much does Moscow spend per resident?

About $1,179 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 $1,179 was more than 88% of 113 Tennessee cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Moscow?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $603 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 the city’s assessor.

Who runs Moscow’s government?

We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Moscow yet.

How did Moscow vote in 2024?

Tennessee counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Moscow alone. Fayette County, where 100% of Moscow lies, voted Trump 70.7%, Harris 28.4% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Moscow?

11 full-time and 8 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $32,073 (about $384,876 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Moscow in the state legislature?

State Senate District 26 (Page Walley) and State House District 94 (Ron Gant). The House district also covers 21 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Moscow’s government

Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.

Town Square →
Ask neighbors

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 →