Photo: Ebyabe · CC BY-SA 3.0Port St. Joe spent more per resident in 2022 than 92% of similar cities
Port St. Joe’s city government spent $11 million on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2022, about $3,133 per resident. It also runs a hospital ($20,000), counted separately. Census Bureau figures.
What stands out about how Port St. Joe is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
About $3,133 per resident a year, or $8.58 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 77%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$3,133 per resident in 2022: more than 92% of them
Port St. Joe’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($3,133 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. Port St. Joe spent more than 92% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($8.5 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; Port St. Joe itself left out).
No trend yet
Port St. Joe reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $2,411 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.68% 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 Port St. Joe’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 Port St. Joe’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Port St. Joe →
Who’s in charge in Port St. Joe
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Port St. Joe’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on cityofportstjoe.com ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 62 residents, not counting hospital, health & welfare staff
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 (3,508).
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.
Gulf County School District
Port St. Joe’s K–12 school district, shared with Wewahitchka. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $14,881 per pupil, $7,985 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.
Port St. Joe’s votes are counted by county
Florida reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Port St. Joe alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Gulf County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican76.6%6,684 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat22.6%1,970 votesOthers: 0.8% (70 votes).
Most votes in Gulf County: Donald J Trump
Florida: Trump 56.1%, Harris 43.0%
100% of Port St. Joe lies in Gulf County. Every 2024 race in Gulf County is on the county’s page.
Gulf 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 Port St. Joe.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: cityofportstjoe.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.
Reach Port St. Joe’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Port St. Joe’s government
How much does Port St. Joe spend per resident?
About $3,133 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. Port St. Joe also runs a hospital ($20,000), counted separately. In 2022, the last full count, its $3,133 was more than 92% of 97 Florida cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Port St. Joe?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,411 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.68% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.76% across Florida. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cityofportstjoe.com.
Who runs Port St. Joe’s government?
See cityofportstjoe.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Port St. Joe yet.
How did Port St. Joe vote in 2024?
Florida counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Port St. Joe alone. Gulf County, where 100% of Port St. Joe lies, voted Trump 76.6%, Harris 22.6% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Port St. Joe?
57 full-time and 4 part-time employees in March 2022 (plus 0 full-time hospital, health & welfare staff), with a March payroll of $230,301 (about $2.8M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Port St. Joe in the state legislature?
State Senate District 3 (Corey Simon) and State House District 7 (Jason Shoaf). The House district also covers 15 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Port St. Joe’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 →