Rufus P. Jordan House · Photo: Ebyabe · CC BY-SA 3.0Longboat Key spent more per resident in 2022 than 93% of similar cities
Longboat Key’s town government spent $26.5 million on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2024, about $3,494 per resident. Water and other utilities ($3 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Longboat Key is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$3,284 per resident in 2022: more than 93% of them
Longboat Key’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($3,284 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 97 Florida cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,449, and the middle half spent $1,034–$2,118. Longboat Key spent more than 93% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($2.9 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 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Longboat Key itself left out).
About $3,494 per resident a year, or $9.57 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 32%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 10% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Longboat Key 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: $3,284 · 2024: $3,494.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $8,439 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.83% 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 Longboat Key’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 Longboat Key’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Longboat Key →
Who’s in charge in Longboat Key
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Longboat Key’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on longboatkey.org ↗.
One full-time town employee for every 70 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 (7,574).
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.
Sarasota County School District
Longboat Key’s K–12 school district, shared with North Port, Sarasota, Venice. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $15,458 per pupil, $9,200 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.
Manatee County School District · $12,296 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Longboat Key’s votes are counted by county
Florida reports official results by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Longboat Key alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Sarasota County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican58.5%163,219 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat40.4%112,668 votesOthers: 1.2% (3,214 votes).
Most votes in Sarasota County: Donald J Trump
Florida: Trump 56.1%, Harris 43.0%
63% of Longboat Key lies in Sarasota County; the rest in Manatee County. Every 2024 race in Sarasota County is on the county’s page.
Sarasota 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 Longboat Key.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: longboatkey.org ↗
- 2Florida HouseLongboat Key is split between 2 districts
- 3Florida SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseSplit between districts
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Florida
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Longboat Key compares with the towns next door
Longboat Key spent $3,284 per resident in 2022; the neighbor that reported 2022 spent $2,982. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Bradenton Beach | $2,982 | $4,685 |
| Longboat Key | $3,284 | $8,439 |
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 Longboat Key’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Longboat Key’s government
How much does Longboat Key spend per resident?
About $3,494 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 $3,284 was more than 93% of 97 Florida cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Longboat Key?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $8,439 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.83% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.76% across Florida. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see longboatkey.org.
Who runs Longboat Key’s government?
See longboatkey.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Longboat Key yet.
How did Longboat Key vote in 2024?
Florida counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Longboat Key alone. Sarasota County, where 63% of Longboat Key lies, voted Trump 58.5%, Harris 40.4% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Longboat Key?
108 full-time and 14 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $750,371 (about $9.0M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Longboat Key in the state legislature?
Longboat Key is split among 2 State House districts and 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 Longboat Key’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 →