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Memphis (Panhandle), Texas (2395817665)Photo: brewbooks from near Seattle, USA · CC BY-SA 2.0
Town Hall · Memphis

Memphis spent more per resident in 2022 than 82% of similar cities

Memphis’ city government spent $1.8 million on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2022, about $900 per resident. Water and other utilities ($301,000) are counted separately.

Election Day

Tomorrow

General election in Texas.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$1.8M
year to September 30, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$900
In 2022: $900, more than 82% of 346 similar cities
Long-term debt
$308,000
end of FY2022, reported
City staff, 2022
19
full-time · 15 part-time · March payroll $53,226
Typical tax bill
$1,045
1.35% of home value · TX 1.49%

What stands out about how Memphis is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

Spends more than most similar citiesIn 2022: $900 per resident, more than 82% of 346 similar cities.Runs its own water & sewer35% of day-to-day spending goes to water, sewer and trash (2022).A shared school districtShares Memphis Independent School District with 2 other towns.Its own police and fire2 sworn officers and 1 full-time firefighters on the payroll.
Compared with similar places

$900 per resident in 2022: more than 82% of them

Memphis’ day-to-day spending in 2022 ($900 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. Memphis spent more than 82% of them.

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

Includes sewer and trash ($448,000), 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; Memphis itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $900 per resident a year, or $2.47 a day

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

Where the money comes from
Fees & charges 31%Sales taxes 24%Utility sales 19%Property taxes 14%Interest, fines & other 9%Other taxes & licenses 2%From the state <1%
Not in the receipt.Interest on debt $9,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $2.1 million.
Over the years

No trend yet

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

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $1,045 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.35% of the home’s value, vs 1.49% across Texas.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Texas$4,232
Memphis$1,045
$1,045
typical bill a year
1.35%
effective rate
$77,300
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Memphis

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

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

One full-time city employee for every 105 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 (1,996).

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

Administration & buildings3 + 9 pt
Water & other utilities5
Sewer & trash3 + 2 pt
Parks & libraries3 + 1 pt
Police2
Fire1 + 1 pt
Courts, inspections & corrections1 + 1 pt
Health & welfare0 + 1 pt
Other1
19
full-time
15
part-time
$53,226
payroll for March 2022
$638,712
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$30,400
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
2
sworn police officers
1
full-time firefighters
Compared, 2022.Memphis had 9.5 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: Memphis 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

Memphis Independent School District

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

Schools in Memphis →
$20,678
per pupil · TX $12,815
400
students
None
long-term debt

Of the $20,678 per pupil, $12,088 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 30%State 57%Federal 13%

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

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Memphis’ votes are counted by county

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

President · Hall County’s results1,150 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican86.3%992 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat13.0%149 votes

Others: 0.8% (9 votes).

Most votes in Hall County: Donald J Trump

Texas: Trump 56.1%, Harris 42.5%

The county’s page

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

Hall 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 Memphis

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Memphis.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  2. 2
    Texas HouseState representatives
    Ken King
  3. 3
    Texas SenateState senator
    Kevin Sparks
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
    Greg Abbott
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
    Ronny Jackson
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Texas
    John CornynTed Cruz

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

Reach Memphis’ government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Memphis’ government

How much does Memphis spend per resident?

About $900 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 $900 was more than 82% of 346 Texas cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Memphis?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,045 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.35% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.49% across Texas. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the city’s assessor.

Who runs Memphis’ government?

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

How did Memphis vote in 2024?

Texas counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Memphis alone. Hall County, where 100% of Memphis lies, voted Trump 86.3%, Harris 13.0% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Memphis?

19 full-time and 15 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $53,226 (about $638,712 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Memphis in the state legislature?

State Senate District 31 (Kevin Sparks) and State House District 88 (Ken King). The House district also covers 50 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Memphis’ 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 →