Ensign-Smith House · Photo: Tom Carter · Public domainParagonah spent less per resident in 2022 than 80% of similar cities
Paragonah’s town government spent $159,000 on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $286 per resident. Water and other utilities ($262,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Paragonah is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$286 per resident in 2022: less than 80% of them
Paragonah’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($286 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 139 Utah cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $548, and the middle half spent $328–$952. Paragonah spent less than 80% of them.
Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Utah cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Paragonah itself left out).
About $286 per resident a year, or $0.78 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 60%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Paragonah reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $1,170 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.48% of the home’s value, vs 0.52% across Utah.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Paragonah’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 Paragonah’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Paragonah →
Who’s in charge in Paragonah
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time town employee for every 185 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 (556).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Iron School District
Paragonah’s K–12 school district, shared with Brian Head, Cedar City, Enoch, Kanarraville, Parowan. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $8,969 per pupil, $5,854 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.
Utah districts overall: 42% local, 51% state, 8% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Paragonah’s votes are counted by county
Utah reports official results by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Paragonah alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Iron County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican77.4%21,571 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat20.4%5,683 votesOthers: 2.2% (624 votes).
Most votes in Iron County: Donald J Trump
Utah: Trump 59.4%, Harris 37.8%
100% of Paragonah lies in Iron County. Every 2024 race in Iron County is on the county’s page.
Iron County’s 2024 results →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.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for Paragonah.
- 1Your townTown governmentLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 2Utah HouseState representatives
- 3Utah SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Utah
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
Reach Paragonah’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Paragonah’s government
How much does Paragonah spend per resident?
About $286 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 $286 was less than 80% of 139 Utah cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Paragonah?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,170 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.48% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.52% across Utah. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the town’s assessor.
Who runs Paragonah’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Paragonah yet.
How did Paragonah vote in 2024?
Utah counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Paragonah alone. Iron County, where 100% of Paragonah lies, voted Trump 77.4%, Harris 20.4% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Paragonah?
3 full-time and 18 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $27,213 (about $326,556 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Paragonah in the state legislature?
State Senate District 28 (Evan Vickers) and State House District 71 (Rex Shipp). The House district also covers four other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Paragonah’s government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
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 →