Alfred J. Comeau House · Photo: Ebyabe · CC BY-SA 3.0West Palm Beach spent more per resident in 2022 than 100% of similar cities
West Palm Beach’s city government spent $429.8 million on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2024, about $3,554 per resident.
What stands out about how West Palm Beach is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
Who’s in charge in West Palm Beach
From public records with a current term; a name is hidden the day its term ends.
Council members and agencies: wpb.org ↗
West Palm Beach’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on wpb.org ↗.
About $3,554 per resident a year, or $9.74 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 25%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$3,548 per resident in 2022: more than 100% of them
West Palm Beach’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($3,548 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 16 Florida cities of 100,000–249,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $2,042, and the middle half spent $1,488–$2,594. West Palm Beach spent more than 100% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($93.5 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 100,000–249,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; West Palm Beach itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is up 7% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years West Palm Beach 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: $3,548 · 2023: $3,358 · 2024: $3,554. Per resident it went from $3,548 to $3,554 (up 0%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 112,782 to 120,932.
full-time in March 2025, up from 1,540 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 $3,862 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.93% 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 West Palm Beach’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 West Palm Beach’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in West Palm Beach →
One full-time city employee for every 73 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (120,932).
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.
Palm Beach County School District
West Palm Beach’s K–12 school district, shared with Atlantis, Belle Glade, Boca Raton, Boynton Beach, Briny Breezes and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $15,224 per pupil, $9,697 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.
West Palm Beach’s votes are counted by county
Florida reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for West Palm Beach alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Palm Beach County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat49.8%372,512 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican49.0%366,836 votesOthers: 1.2% (9,141 votes).
Most votes in Palm Beach County: Kamala D Harris
Florida: Trump 56.1%, Harris 43.0%
100% of West Palm Beach lies in Palm Beach County. Every 2024 race in Palm Beach County is on the county’s page.
Palm Beach 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
West Palm Beach sends 4 representatives to the Florida House alone.
- 1Your cityMayorKeith A. Jamesas listed by Open States, October 9, 2026
- 2Florida HouseWest Palm Beach is split between 4 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 West Palm Beach compares with the towns next door
West Palm Beach spent $3,548 per resident in 2022; the 5 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $759 to $10,254. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Lake Clarke Shores | $759 | $4,845 |
| Palm Beach Gardens | $1,813 | $5,772 |
| Lake Worth Beach | $2,092 | $3,439 |
| Riviera Beach | $3,624 | $3,224 |
| Palm Beach | $10,254 | $10,000+ |
| Mangonia Park | estimate | $1,778 |
| West Palm Beach | $3,548 | $3,862 |
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 West Palm Beach’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about West Palm Beach’s government
How much does West Palm Beach spend per resident?
About $3,554 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 $3,548 was more than 100% of 16 Florida cities of 100,000–249,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in West Palm Beach?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,862 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.93% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.76% across Florida. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see wpb.org.
Who is the mayor of West Palm Beach?
Keith A. James, as listed by Open States (checked October 9, 2026). The council and agencies are listed on wpb.org.
How did West Palm Beach vote in 2024?
Florida counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for West Palm Beach alone. Palm Beach County, where 100% of West Palm Beach lies, voted Harris 49.8%, Trump 49.0% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for West Palm Beach?
1,651 full-time and 147 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $14.2M (about $170.7M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents West Palm Beach in the state legislature?
West Palm Beach is split among 4 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 West Palm Beach’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 →