Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to Trenton

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
Trenton-College-St-tnPhoto: Brian Stansberry · CC BY 4.0
Town Hall · Trenton

Trenton spent more per resident in 2022 than 93% of similar cities

Trenton’s city government spent $6.4 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $1,544 per resident.

Town website
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$6.4M
year to June 30, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$1,544
In 2022: $1,544, more than 93% of 43 similar cities
Long-term debt
$1.6M
end of FY2022, reported
City staff, 2022
55
full-time · 0 part-time · March payroll $170,215
Typical tax bill
$785
0.62% of home value · TN 0.50%

What stands out about how Trenton is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

Spends more than most similar citiesIn 2022: $1,544 per resident, more than 93% of 43 similar cities.Its own police and fire17 sworn officers and 13 full-time firefighters on the payroll.Low bills, a higher rateThe typical bill is $785 a year: 0.62% of the home’s value, vs 0.50% across Tennessee.
Compared with similar places

$1,544 per resident in 2022: more than 93% of them

Trenton’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,544 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 43 Tennessee cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $698, and the middle half spent $418–$1,116. Trenton spent more than 93% of them.

Middle half of the group, $418–$1,116Median $698Trenton

Includes sewer and trash ($662,000), 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
43

Tennessee cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Trenton itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $1,544 per resident a year, or $4.23 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 25%.

Where the money comes from
Sales taxes 38%Property taxes 18%Other taxes & licenses 15%Fees & charges 12%From other local governments 11%Interest, fines & other 3%From the state 3%
Not in the receipt.Interest on debt $65,000. With these, the whole budget was $6.5 million.
About “Other”.35% of Trenton’s day-to-day spending ($2.2 million) is filed by the Census Bureau outside the named functions above, so the receipt can’t say what it buys.
Over the years

No trend yet

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

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $785 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.62% of the home’s value, vs 0.50% across Tennessee.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Tennessee$1,442
Trenton$785
$785
typical bill a year
0.62%
effective rate
$126,000
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Trenton

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

See trentontn.net/285826.ihtml for Trenton’s current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Trenton yet.trentontn.net/285826.ihtml ↗
Agendas

Trenton’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on trentontn.net/285826.ihtml ↗.

Who works for Trenton

One full-time city 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 (4,147).

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

Police23
Fire13
Roads & transportation7
Sewer & trash3
Parks & libraries1
Other8
55
full-time
0
part-time
$170,215
payroll for March 2022
$2.0M
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$37,100
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
17
sworn police officers
13
full-time firefighters
Compared, 2022.Trenton had 13.3 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 37 of the 43 Tennessee cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 8.1: Trenton had more than 76% 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

Trenton Special School District

Trenton’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Trenton →
$11,909
per pupil · TN $13,059
1,366
students
$17.4 million
long-term debt

Of the $11,909 per pupil, $6,641 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 29%State 54%Federal 16%

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

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Trenton’s votes are counted by county

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

President · Gibson County’s results21,648 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican75.5%16,346 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat23.6%5,100 votes

Others: 0.9% (202 votes).

Most votes in Gibson County: Donald J Trump

Tennessee: Trump 64.2%, Harris 34.5%

The county’s page

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

Gibson 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 Trenton

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Trenton.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Officials: trentontn.net/285826.ihtml ↗
  2. 2
    Tennessee HouseState representatives
    Brock Martin
  3. 3
    Tennessee SenateState senator
    John Stevens
  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 Trenton’s government

The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.

The Handbook →
Official websitetrentontn.net/285826.ihtml ↗

Questions about Trenton’s government

How much does Trenton spend per resident?

About $1,544 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 $1,544 was more than 93% of 43 Tennessee cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Trenton?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $785 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.62% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.50% across Tennessee. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see trentontn.net/285826.ihtml.

Who runs Trenton’s government?

See trentontn.net/285826.ihtml for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Trenton yet.

How did Trenton vote in 2024?

Tennessee counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Trenton alone. Gibson County, where 100% of Trenton lies, voted Trump 75.5%, Harris 23.6% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Trenton?

55 full-time and 0 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $170,215 (about $2.0M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Trenton in the state legislature?

State Senate District 24 (John Stevens) and State House District 79 (Brock Martin). The House district also covers 12 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Trenton’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 →