Photo: Michel Rathwell from Cornwall, Canada · CC BY 2.0Clearwater spent more per resident in 2022 than 69% of similar cities
Clearwater’s city government spent $358.8 million on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2024, about $3,066 per resident. Water and other utilities ($62 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Clearwater is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$2,585 per resident in 2022: more than 69% of them
Clearwater’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($2,585 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 16 Florida cities of 100,000–249,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $2,042, and the middle half spent $1,488–$2,674. Clearwater spent more than 69% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($64.4 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 →
Florida cities of 100,000–249,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Clearwater itself left out).
About $3,066 per resident a year, or $8.40 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 24%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 19% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Clearwater 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: $2,585 · 2023: $2,844 · 2024: $3,066.
full-time in March 2025, up from 1,470 in 2022.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $2,625 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.73% of the home’s value, vs 0.76% across Florida.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Clearwater’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 Clearwater’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Clearwater →
Who’s in charge in Clearwater
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Clearwater’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on myclearwater.com ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 67 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (117,027).
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.
Pinellas County School District
Clearwater’s K–12 school district, shared with Belleair Beach, Belleair Bluffs, Belleair Shore, Belleair, Dunedin and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $13,166 per pupil, $7,569 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.
Florida districts overall: 55% local, 29% state, 15% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Clearwater’s votes are counted by county
Florida reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Clearwater alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Pinellas County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican51.9%269,472 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat46.7%242,452 votesOthers: 1.4% (7,416 votes).
Most votes in Pinellas County: Donald J Trump
Florida: Trump 56.1%, Harris 43.0%
100% of Clearwater lies in Pinellas County. Every 2024 race in Pinellas County is on the county’s page.
Pinellas 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 Clearwater.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: myclearwater.com ↗
- 2Florida HouseState representatives
- 3Florida SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Florida
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Clearwater compares with the towns next door
Clearwater spent $2,585 per resident in 2022; the 5 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $1,092 to $1,834. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Belleair Beach | $1,092 | $7,640 |
| Safety Harbor | $1,153 | $2,836 |
| Dunedin | $1,719 | $2,456 |
| Largo | $1,760 | $1,704 |
| Belleair | $1,834 | $5,638 |
| Clearwater | $2,585 | $2,625 |
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 Clearwater’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Clearwater’s government
How much does Clearwater spend per resident?
About $3,066 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 $2,585 was more than 69% of 16 Florida cities of 100,000–249,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Clearwater?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,625 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.73% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.76% across Florida. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see myclearwater.com.
Who runs Clearwater’s government?
See myclearwater.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Clearwater yet.
How did Clearwater vote in 2024?
Florida counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Clearwater alone. Pinellas County, where 100% of Clearwater lies, voted Trump 51.9%, Harris 46.7% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Clearwater?
1,758 full-time and 278 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $9.5M (about $114.5M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Clearwater in the state legislature?
Clearwater is split among 2 State Senate districts, so your address decides. The Florida Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Clearwater’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 →