Newman, E.L., Lustron House · Photo: themidnite · CC BY-SA 3.0Sheffield spent more per resident in 2022 than 74% of similar cities
Sheffield’s city government spent $13.2 million on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2024, about $1,420 per resident. Water and other utilities ($85.4 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Sheffield is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,453 per resident in 2022: more than 74% of them
Sheffield’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,453 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 47 Alabama cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $992, and the middle half spent $608–$1,399. Sheffield spent more than 74% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($1.7 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 →
Alabama cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Sheffield itself left out).
About $1,420 per resident a year, or $3.89 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 24%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 3% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Sheffield reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.
Day-to-day spending by fiscal year
Per resident: 2022: $1,453 · 2023: $1,277 · 2024: $1,420. Per resident it went from $1,453 to $1,420 (down 2%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 8,839 to 9,319.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $579 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.43% of the home’s value, vs 0.38% across Alabama.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Sheffield’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 Sheffield’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Sheffield →
Who’s in charge in Sheffield
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time city employee for every 49 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (9,319).
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.
Sheffield City School District
Sheffield’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $16,084 per pupil, $8,622 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.
Alabama districts overall: 31% local, 53% state, 16% federal.
Colbert County School District · $15,636 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Sheffield’s votes are counted by county
Alabama reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Sheffield alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Colbert County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican72.6%19,714 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat26.3%7,137 votesOthers: 1.1% (309 votes).
Most votes in Colbert County: Donald J Trump
Alabama: Trump 64.6%, Harris 34.1%
100% of Sheffield lies in Colbert County. Every 2024 race in Colbert County is on the county’s page.
Colbert 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 Sheffield.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 2Alabama HouseState representatives
- 3Alabama SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Alabama
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Sheffield compares with the towns next door
Sheffield spent $1,453 per resident in 2022. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Muscle Shoals | estimate | $899 |
| Tuscumbia | estimate | $873 |
| Sheffield | $1,453 | $579 |
Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).
Reach Sheffield’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Sheffield’s government
How much does Sheffield spend per resident?
About $1,420 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,453 was more than 74% of 47 Alabama cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Sheffield?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $579 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.43% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.38% across Alabama. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the city’s assessor.
Who runs Sheffield’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Sheffield yet.
How did Sheffield vote in 2024?
Alabama counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Sheffield alone. Colbert County, where 100% of Sheffield lies, voted Trump 72.6%, Harris 26.3% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Sheffield?
190 full-time and 16 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $969,379 (about $11.6M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Sheffield in the state legislature?
State Senate District 6 (Larry Stutts) and State House District 3 (Bubba Underwood). The House district also covers parts of three neighboring towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Sheffield’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 →