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“Welcome to Marathon,” Marathon, Florida KeysPhoto: Sharon Hahn Darlin · CC BY 2.0
Town Hall · Marathon

Marathon spent more per resident in 2022 than 84% of similar cities

Marathon’s city government spent $24.6 million on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2022, about $2,743 per resident.

Town website
Election Day

Tomorrow

General election in Florida.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$24.6M
year to September 30, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$2,743
In 2022: $2,743, more than 84% of 97 similar cities
Long-term debt
$42.3M
end of FY2022, reported
City staff, 2022
109
full-time · 4 part-time · March payroll $670,731
Typical tax bill
$3,995
0.55% of home value · FL 0.76%

What stands out about how Marathon is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

Compared with similar places

$2,743 per resident in 2022: more than 84% of them

Marathon’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($2,743 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. Marathon spent more than 84% of them.

Middle half of the group, $1,034–$2,118Median $1,449Marathon

Includes sewer and trash ($10.6 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 →

The group
97

Florida cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Marathon itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $2,743 per resident a year, or $7.52 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 43%.

Where the money comes from
Property taxes 29%Fees & charges 25%Interest, fines & other 15%Other taxes & licenses 9%From the federal government 9%From the state 9%Sales taxes 3%From other local governments 1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $528,000; interest on debt $1.3 million. With these, the whole budget was $26.4 million.
Over the years

No trend yet

Marathon reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $3,995 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.55% of the home’s value, vs 0.76% across Florida.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Key Colony Beach$5,640
Marathon$3,995
Florida$2,730
$3,995
typical bill a year
0.55%
effective rate
$725,800
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Marathon’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 Marathon’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Marathon →

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Marathon

Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.

See ci.marathon.fl.us for Marathon’s current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Marathon yet.ci.marathon.fl.us ↗
Agendas

Marathon’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on ci.marathon.fl.us ↗.

Who works for Marathon

One full-time city employee for every 82 residents

On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (8,984).

By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022

Fire34
Sewer & trash23
Parks & libraries17 + 3 pt
Administration & buildings17 + 1 pt
Roads & transportation10
Courts, inspections & corrections2
Other6
109
full-time
4
part-time
$670,731
payroll for March 2022
$8.0M
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$73,200
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
32
full-time firefighters
Compared, 2022.Marathon had 12.1 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 81 of the 97 Florida cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 9.7: Marathon had more than 69% of them. Same group and year as the budget comparison.

The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.

The school district

Monroe County School District

Marathon’s K–12 school district, shared with Islamorada, Village of Islands, Key Colony Beach, Key West, Layton. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Marathon →
$18,845
per pupil · FL $13,006
8,908
students
$115.3 million
long-term debt

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.

The district: schools, scores and graduation →

Where the district’s money comes from
Local 85%State 7%Federal 8%

Florida districts overall: 55% local, 29% state, 15% federal.

School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.

Elections · 2024 general election

Marathon’s votes are counted by county

Florida reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Marathon alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Monroe County’s results.

President · Monroe County’s results44,502 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican58.6%26,064 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat40.3%17,933 votes

Others: 1.1% (505 votes).

Most votes in Monroe County: Donald J Trump

Florida: Trump 56.1%, Harris 43.0%

The county’s page

100% of Marathon lies in Monroe County. Every 2024 race in Monroe County is on the county’s page.

Monroe County’s 2024 results →
DemocratRepublicanLibertarianIndependent / other

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.

Who represents Marathon

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Marathon.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
  2. 2
    Florida HouseState representatives
  3. 3
    Florida SenateState senator
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Florida

Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.

Next door

How Marathon compares with the towns next door

Marathon spent $2,743 per resident in 2022; the neighbor that reported 2022 spent $5,630. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.

Spends the leastSpends the mostEstimate or no figures
TownDay-to-day, per resident (2022)Tax bill
Key Colony Beach$5,630$5,640
Marathon$2,743$3,995

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 Marathon’s government

The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Marathon’s government

How much does Marathon spend per resident?

About $2,743 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $2,743 was more than 84% of 97 Florida cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Marathon?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,995 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.55% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.76% across Florida. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see ci.marathon.fl.us.

Who runs Marathon’s government?

See ci.marathon.fl.us for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Marathon yet.

How did Marathon vote in 2024?

Florida counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Marathon alone. Monroe County, where 100% of Marathon lies, voted Trump 58.6%, Harris 40.3% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Marathon?

109 full-time and 4 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $670,731 (about $8.0M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Marathon 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 Marathon’s government

Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.

Town Square →
Ask neighbors

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 →