Photo: Averette · CC BY 3.0How is Miami run?
Miami’s city government spent $1.4 billion on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2024, about $3,113 per resident.
What stands out about how Miami is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
Dade County School District
Miami’s K–12 school district, shared with Aventura, Bal Harbour, Bay Harbor Islands, Biscayne Park, Coral Gables and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $13,931 per pupil, $8,844 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.
About $3,113 per resident a year, or $8.53 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 32%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$2,499 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
Miami’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($2,499 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 21 Florida cities of 250,000–499,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $2,330, and the middle half spent $1,599–$2,797. Miami spent more than 62% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($44.4 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 250,000–499,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Miami itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is up 19% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Miami 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: $2,499 · 2023: $2,753 · 2024: $3,113. Per resident it went from $2,499 to $3,113 (up 25%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 471,525 to 449,514.
full-time in March 2025, up from 4,257 in 2022. Both are Census estimates.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $4,586 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.89% 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 Miami’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 Miami’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Miami →
Who’s in charge in Miami
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Miami’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on miami.gov ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 103 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 (449,514).
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.
Miami’s votes are counted by county
Florida reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Miami alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Miami-Dade County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican55.2%605,590 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat43.8%480,355 votesOthers: 1.0% (11,264 votes).
Most votes in Miami-Dade County: Donald J Trump
Florida: Trump 56.1%, Harris 43.0%
100% of Miami lies in Miami-Dade County. Every 2024 race in Miami-Dade County is on the county’s page.
Miami-Dade 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
Miami sends 4 representatives to the Florida House alone.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: miami.gov ↗
- 2Florida HouseMiami is split between 5 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 Miami compares with the towns next door
No neighbor is close in size, so the comparison above uses Florida cities of 250,000–499,999 that don’t run their own schools. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Coral Gables | $4,783 | $9,124 |
| Miami Beach | $7,881 | $5,048 |
| El Portal | estimate | $5,544 |
| Miami | $2,499 | $4,586 |
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 Miami’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Miami’s government
How much does Miami spend per resident?
About $3,113 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 $2,499 was more than 62% of 21 Florida cities of 250,000–499,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Miami?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $4,586 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.89% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.76% across Florida. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see miami.gov.
Who runs Miami’s government?
See miami.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Miami yet.
How did Miami vote in 2024?
Florida counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Miami alone. Miami-Dade County, where 100% of Miami lies, voted Trump 55.2%, Harris 43.8% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Miami?
4,380 full-time and 571 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $45.2M (about $542.5M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Miami in the state legislature?
Miami is split among 5 State House districts and 3 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 Miami’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 →