Photo: George Bannister · CC BY 2.0New Orleans spent more per resident in 2022 than 98% of similar cities
New Orleans’ city government spent $1.3 billion on day-to-day services in the year to November 30, 2024, about $3,479 per resident. It also runs a hospital ($66.4 million), water utilities ($116.1 million) and an airport ($81.5 million), counted separately. Census Bureau figures.
What stands out about how New Orleans is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
About $3,479 per resident a year, or $9.53 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: housing & development, at 22%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$3,266 per resident in 2022: more than 98% of them
New Orleans’ day-to-day spending in 2022 ($3,266 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 137 Louisiana cities that don’t run their own schools: the median was $859, and the middle half spent $339–$1,254. New Orleans spent more than 98% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($167.5 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 →
Louisiana cities that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; New Orleans itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is up 1% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years New Orleans 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: $3,266 · 2023: $3,112 · 2024: $3,479. Per resident it went from $3,266 to $3,479 (up 7%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 389,476 to 369,749.
full-time in March 2025 (hospital, health & welfare left out), up from 5,996 in 2022.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
Who’s in charge in New Orleans
From public records with a current term; a name is hidden the day its term ends.
Council members and agencies: nola.gov ↗
New Orleans’ meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on nola.gov ↗.
The typical homeowner pays $2,606 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.83% of the home’s value, vs 0.55% across Louisiana.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at New Orleans’ 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 New Orleans’ Cost of living grade. Cost of living in New Orleans →
One full-time city employee for every 58 residents, not counting hospital, health & welfare staff
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 (369,749).
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.
Orleans Parish School District
New Orleans’ K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $50,343 per pupil, $9,354 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.
Louisiana districts overall: 47% local, 34% state, 19% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
From town hall to Washington
New Orleans sends 9 representatives to the Louisiana House alone.
- 1Your cityMayorLaToya Cantrellas listed by Open States, October 9, 2026
- 2Louisiana HouseNew Orleans is split between 9 districts
- 3Louisiana SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseSplit between districts
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Louisiana
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How New Orleans compares with the towns next door
New Orleans spent $3,266 per resident in 2022; the neighbor that reported 2022 spent $1,254. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Gretna | $1,254 | $1,531 |
| New Orleans | $3,266 | $2,606 |
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 New Orleans’ government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about New Orleans’ government
How much does New Orleans spend per resident?
About $3,479 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to November 30, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. New Orleans also runs a hospital ($66.4 million), counted separately. In 2022, the last full count, its $3,266 was more than 98% of 137 Louisiana cities that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in New Orleans?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,606 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.83% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.55% across Louisiana. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see nola.gov.
Who is the mayor of New Orleans?
LaToya Cantrell, as listed by Open States (checked October 9, 2026). The council and agencies are listed on nola.gov.
How many people work for New Orleans?
6,374 full-time and 277 part-time employees in March 2025 (plus 330 full-time hospital, health & welfare staff), with a March payroll of $42.0M (about $503.7M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents New Orleans in the state legislature?
New Orleans is split among 9 State House districts and 6 State Senate districts, so your address decides. The Louisiana Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about New Orleans’ 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 →