Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to Lorena

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
Downtown Lorena, Texas (1 of 1)Photo: Renelibrary · CC BY-SA 4.0
Town Hall · Lorena

Lorena spent more per resident in 2022 than 81% of similar cities

Lorena’s city government spent $1.5 million on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2022, about $879 per resident. Water and other utilities ($1.5 million) are counted separately.

Town website
Election Day

Tomorrow

General election in Texas.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$1.5M
year to September 30, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$879
In 2022: $879, more than 81% of 346 similar cities
Long-term debt
$6.6M
end of FY2022, reported
City staff, 2022
14
full-time · 4 part-time · March payroll $59,721
Typical tax bill
$4,346
1.55% of home value · TX 1.49%

What stands out about how Lorena is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

Compared with similar places

$879 per resident in 2022: more than 81% of them

Lorena’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($879 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 346 Texas cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $428, and the middle half spent $184–$750. Lorena spent more than 81% of them.

Middle half of the group, $184–$750Median $428Lorena

Includes sewer and trash ($272,000), 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
346

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

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $879 per resident a year, or $2.41 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 40%.

Where the money comes from
Utility sales 33%Property taxes 20%Fees & charges 19%Sales taxes 15%Interest, fines & other 10%From the state 2%Other taxes & licenses <1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $257,000; interest on debt $217,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $3.5 million.
Over the years

No trend yet

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

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $4,346 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.55% of the home’s value, vs 1.49% across Texas.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Lorena$4,346
Texas$4,232
$4,346
typical bill a year
1.55%
effective rate
$281,000
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Lorena

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

See ci.lorena.tx.us for Lorena’s current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Lorena yet.ci.lorena.tx.us ↗
Agendas

Lorena’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on ci.lorena.tx.us ↗.

Who works for Lorena

One full-time city employee for every 125 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 (1,756).

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

Police8 + 1 pt
Administration & buildings3 + 1 pt
Water & other utilities2 + 1 pt
Courts, inspections & corrections1 + 1 pt
14
full-time
4
part-time
$59,721
payroll for March 2022
$716,652
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$48,200
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
7
sworn police officers
Compared, 2022.Lorena had 8.0 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 295 of the 346 Texas cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 6.1: Lorena had more than 64% 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

Lorena Independent School District

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

Schools in Lorena →
$11,590
per pupil · TX $12,815
1,858
students
$21.4 million
long-term debt

Of the $11,590 per pupil, $6,940 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 39%State 54%Federal 7%

Texas districts overall: 51% local, 36% state, 13% federal.

Also serving Lorena

Bruceville-Eddy Independent School District · $16,386 per pupil

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Lorena’s votes are counted by county

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

President · McLennan County’s results99,672 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican64.8%64,606 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat34.0%33,863 votes

Others: 1.2% (1,203 votes).

Most votes in McLennan County: Donald J Trump

Texas: Trump 56.1%, Harris 42.5%

The county’s page

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

McLennan 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 Lorena

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Lorena.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
  2. 2
    Texas HouseState representatives
  3. 3
    Texas SenateState senator
    District 22
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Texas

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

Reach Lorena’s government

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

The Handbook →

Questions about Lorena’s government

How much does Lorena spend per resident?

About $879 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $879 was more than 81% of 346 Texas cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Lorena?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $4,346 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.55% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.49% across Texas. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see ci.lorena.tx.us.

Who runs Lorena’s government?

See ci.lorena.tx.us for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Lorena yet.

How did Lorena vote in 2024?

Texas counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Lorena alone. McLennan County, where 100% of Lorena lies, voted Trump 64.8%, Harris 34.0% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Lorena?

14 full-time and 4 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $59,721 (about $716,652 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Lorena in the state legislature?

State Senate District 22 and State House District 56 (Pat Curry). The House district also covers 17 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Lorena’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 →