Photo: Alexf · CC BY-SA 3.0Surfside spent more per resident in 2022 than 96% of similar cities
Surfside’s town government spent $21.7 million on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2023, about $3,928 per resident. Water and other utilities ($783,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Surfside is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$4,042 per resident in 2022: more than 96% of them
Surfside’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($4,042 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. Surfside spent more than 96% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($3.7 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; Surfside itself left out).
About $3,928 per resident a year, or $10.76 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 30%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is down 4% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Surfside 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: $4,042 · 2023: $3,928.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $6,999 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.79% 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 Surfside’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 Surfside’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Surfside →
Who’s in charge in Surfside
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Surfside’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on townofsurfsidefl.gov ↗.
One full-time town employee for every 55 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2023 finance file (5,531).
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.
Dade County School District
Surfside’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.
Surfside’s votes are counted by county
Florida reports official results by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Surfside 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 Surfside 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
Every level of government that speaks for Surfside.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: townofsurfsidefl.gov ↗
- 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 Surfside compares with the towns next door
Surfside spent $4,042 per resident in 2022; the 2 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $7,657 to $45,682. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Bal Harbour | $7,657 | $10,000+ |
| Indian Creek | $45,682 | $10,000+ |
| Surfside | $4,042 | $6,999 |
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 Surfside’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Surfside’s government
How much does Surfside spend per resident?
About $3,928 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2023, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $4,042 was more than 96% of 97 Florida cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Surfside?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $6,999 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.79% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.76% across Florida. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see townofsurfsidefl.gov.
Who runs Surfside’s government?
See townofsurfsidefl.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Surfside yet.
How did Surfside vote in 2024?
Florida counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Surfside alone. Miami-Dade County, where 100% of Surfside lies, voted Trump 55.2%, Harris 43.8% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Surfside?
100 full-time and 33 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $868,625 (about $10.4M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Surfside in the state legislature?
State Senate District 34 (Shev Jones) and State House District 106 (Fabián Basabe). The House district also covers nine other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Surfside’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 →