Photo: Dough4872 · CC BY-SA 4.0Clayton spent less per resident in 2022 than 77% of similar cities
Clayton’s town government spent $1.1 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $309 per resident. Water and other utilities ($204,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Clayton is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$309 per resident in 2022: less than 77% of them
Clayton’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($309 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 31 Delaware cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $610, and the middle half spent $317–$1,469. Clayton spent less than 77% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($102,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Delaware cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Clayton itself left out).
About $309 per resident a year, or $0.85 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 66%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Clayton reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
full-time in March 2025, up from 21 in 2022. Both are Census estimates.
The typical homeowner pays $1,485 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.41% of the home’s value, vs 0.50% across Delaware.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Clayton’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 Clayton’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Clayton →
Who’s in charge in Clayton
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Clayton’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on clayton.delaware.gov ↗.
One full-time town employee for every 165 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (3,630).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Smyrna School District
Clayton’s K–12 school district, shared with Kenton, Smyrna, Leipsic. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $16,150 per pupil, $9,381 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.
Delaware districts overall: 32% local, 57% state, 11% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Clayton’s votes are counted by county
Delaware reports official results by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Clayton alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Kent County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat50.2%44,222 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican48.2%42,458 votesOthers: 1.7% (1,461 votes).
Most votes in Kent County: Kamala D Harris
Delaware: Harris 56.5%, Trump 41.8%
100% of Clayton lies in Kent County; the rest in New Castle County. Every 2024 race in Kent County is on the county’s page.
Kent 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 Clayton.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: clayton.delaware.gov ↗
- 2Delaware HouseClayton is split between 3 districts
- 3Delaware SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Delaware
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Clayton compares with the towns next door
Clayton spent $309 per resident in 2022; the neighbor that reported 2022 spent $1,188. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Smyrna | $1,188 | $1,353 |
| Clayton | $309 | $1,485 |
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 Clayton’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Clayton’s government
How much does Clayton spend per resident?
About $309 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $309 was less than 77% of 31 Delaware cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Clayton?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,485 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.41% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.50% across Delaware. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see clayton.delaware.gov.
Who runs Clayton’s government?
See clayton.delaware.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Clayton yet.
How did Clayton vote in 2024?
Delaware counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Clayton alone. Kent County, where 100% of Clayton lies, voted Harris 50.2%, Trump 48.2% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Clayton?
22 full-time and 2 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $169,761 (about $2.0M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Clayton in the state legislature?
Clayton is split among 3 State House districts, so your address decides. The Delaware Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Its State Senate district is District 14 (Kyra Hoffner). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Clayton’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 →