Photo: Radomianin · CC BY-SA 4.0Key West spent more per resident in 2022 than 98% of similar cities
Key West’s city government spent $117.6 million on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2024, about $4,593 per resident. Water and other utilities ($6 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Key West is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$4,271 per resident in 2022: more than 98% of them
Key West’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($4,271 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 67 Florida cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,525, and the middle half spent $1,160–$2,146. Key West spent more than 98% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($18.2 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 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Key West itself left out).
About $4,593 per resident a year, or $12.58 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 18%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 16% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Key West 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: $4,271 · 2023: $4,078 · 2024: $4,593. Per resident it went from $4,271 to $4,593 (up 8%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 23,767 to 25,597.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $4,442 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.52% 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 Key West’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 Key West’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Key West →
Who’s in charge in Key West
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Key West’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on keywestcity.com ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 56 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 (25,597).
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.
Monroe County School District
Key West’s K–12 school district, shared with Islamorada, Village of Islands, Key Colony Beach, Layton, Marathon. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $18,845 per pupil, $11,017 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.
Key West’s votes are counted by county
Florida reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Key West alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Monroe County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican58.6%26,064 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat40.3%17,933 votesOthers: 1.1% (505 votes).
Most votes in Monroe County: Donald J Trump
Florida: Trump 56.1%, Harris 43.0%
100% of Key West lies in Monroe County. Every 2024 race in Monroe County is on the county’s page.
Monroe 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 Key West.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: keywestcity.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 Key West compares with the towns next door
Key West spent $4,271 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Key West | $4,271 | $4,442 |
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 Key West’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Key West’s government
How much does Key West spend per resident?
About $4,593 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 $4,271 was more than 98% of 67 Florida cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Key West?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $4,442 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.52% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.76% across Florida. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see keywestcity.com.
Who runs Key West’s government?
See keywestcity.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Key West yet.
How did Key West vote in 2024?
Florida counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Key West alone. Monroe County, where 100% of Key West lies, voted Trump 58.6%, Harris 40.3% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Key West?
456 full-time and 20 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $3.0M (about $36.0M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Key West in the state legislature?
State Senate District 40 (Ana Maria Rodriguez) and State House District 120 (Jim Mooney). The House district also covers five other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Key West’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 →