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Moab, Utah downtownPhoto: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0
Town Hall · Moab

Moab spent more per resident in 2022 than 96% of similar cities

Moab’s city government spent $14.5 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $2,708 per resident. Water and other utilities ($630,000) are counted separately.

Town website
Election Day

Tomorrow

General election in Utah.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$14.5M
year to June 30, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$2,708
In 2022: $2,708, more than 96% of 47 similar cities
Long-term debt
Not reported
end of FY2022, reported
City staff, 2025
87
full-time · 65 part-time · March payroll $731,259
Typical tax bill
$2,200
0.42% of home value · UT 0.52%

What stands out about how Moab is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

Compared with similar places

$2,708 per resident in 2022: more than 96% of them

Moab’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($2,708 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 47 Utah cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $828, and the middle half spent $562–$1,050. Moab spent more than 96% of them.

Middle half of the group, $562–$1,050Median $828Moab

Includes sewer and trash ($2.5 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 →

The group
47

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

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $2,708 per resident a year, or $7.42 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 31%.

Where the money comes from
Sales taxes 65%Fees & charges 20%Utility sales 7%Interest, fines & other 4%From the state 2%From other local governments 1%Other taxes & licenses 1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $310,000; interest on debt $703,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $16.2 million.
Over the years

No trend yet

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

City staff
87

full-time in March 2025, up from 71 in 2022.

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $2,200 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.42% of the home’s value, vs 0.52% across Utah.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Utah$2,525
Moab$2,200
$2,200
typical bill a year
0.42%
effective rate
$518,900
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Moab

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

See moabcity.org for Moab’s current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Moab yet.moabcity.org ↗
Agendas

Moab’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on moabcity.org ↗.

Who works for Moab

One full-time city employee for every 62 residents

On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (5,373).

By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025

Parks & libraries13 + 53 pt
Police22 + 1 pt
Administration & buildings15 + 9 pt
Roads & transportation10 + 1 pt
Sewer & trash6
Water & other utilities4
Housing & development1
Other16 + 1 pt
87
full-time
65
part-time
$731,259
payroll for March 2025
$8.8M
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$91,900
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
17
sworn police officers
Compared, 2022.Moab had 13.2 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 36 of the 47 Utah cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 3.6: Moab had more than 97% 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

Grand School District

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

Schools in Moab →
$16,404
per pupil · UT $11,467
1,451
students
$36.7 million
long-term debt

Of the $16,404 per pupil, $9,505 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 67%State 27%Federal 7%

Utah districts overall: 42% local, 51% state, 8% federal.

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Moab’s votes are counted by county

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

President · Grand County’s results5,297 votes · results as certified
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat53.4%2,828 votes
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican43.9%2,324 votes

Others: 2.7% (145 votes).

Most votes in Grand County: Kamala D Harris

Utah: Trump 59.4%, Harris 37.8%

The county’s page

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

Grand 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 Moab

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Moab.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Officials: moabcity.org ↗
  2. 2
    Utah HouseState representatives
  3. 3
    Utah SenateState senator
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Utah

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

Reach Moab’s government

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

The Handbook →

Questions about Moab’s government

How much does Moab spend per resident?

About $2,708 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 $2,708 was more than 96% of 47 Utah cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Moab?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,200 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.42% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.52% across Utah. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see moabcity.org.

Who runs Moab’s government?

See moabcity.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Moab yet.

How did Moab vote in 2024?

Utah counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Moab alone. Grand County, where 100% of Moab lies, voted Harris 53.4%, Trump 43.9% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Moab?

87 full-time and 65 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $731,259 (about $8.8M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Moab in the state legislature?

State Senate District 26 (David Hinkins) and State House District 69 (Logan Monson). The House district also covers 26 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Moab’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 →