Photo: Matthew Binebrink · CC BY-SA 4.0Frederick spent more per resident in 2022 than 73% of similar cities
Frederick’s city government spent $136.1 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $1,656 per resident. Water and other utilities ($12.3 million) and the airport ($1.8 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Frederick is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,334 per resident in 2022: more than 73% of them
Frederick’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,334 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 137 Maryland cities that don’t run their own schools: the median was $944, and the middle half spent $643–$1,349. Frederick spent more than 73% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($12.9 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 →
Maryland cities that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Frederick itself left out).
About $1,656 per resident a year, or $4.54 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 30%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 39% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Frederick 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: $1,334 · 2023: $1,444 · 2024: $1,656. Per resident it went from $1,334 to $1,656 (up 24%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 73,308 to 82,175.
full-time in March 2025, up from 532 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 $5,001 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.25% of the home’s value, vs 0.97% across Maryland.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Frederick’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 Frederick’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Frederick →
Who’s in charge in Frederick
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Frederick’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on cityoffrederick.com ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 140 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 (82,175).
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.
Frederick County Public Schools
Frederick’s K–12 school district, shared with Brunswick, Burkittsville, Emmitsburg, Middletown, Myersville and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $17,172 per pupil, $10,929 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.
Maryland districts overall: 47% local, 44% state, 9% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Frederick’s votes are counted by county
Maryland reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Frederick alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Frederick County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat52.8%82,409 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican44.0%68,753 votesOthers: 3.2% (4,952 votes).
Most votes in Frederick County: Kamala D Harris
Maryland: Harris 62.6%, Trump 34.1%
100% of Frederick lies in Frederick County. Every 2024 race in Frederick County is on the county’s page.
Frederick 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 Frederick.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: cityoffrederick.com ↗
- 2Maryland House of DelegatesState representatives
- 3Maryland SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Maryland
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Frederick compares with the towns next door
Frederick spent $1,334 per resident in 2022. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Frederick | $1,334 | $5,001 |
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 Frederick’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Frederick’s government
How much does Frederick spend per resident?
About $1,656 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,334 was more than 73% of 137 Maryland cities that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Frederick?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $5,001 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.25% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.97% across Maryland. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cityoffrederick.com.
Who runs Frederick’s government?
See cityoffrederick.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Frederick yet.
How did Frederick vote in 2024?
Maryland counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Frederick alone. Frederick County, where 100% of Frederick lies, voted Harris 52.8%, Trump 44.0% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Frederick?
585 full-time and 155 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $4.5M (about $54.3M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Frederick in the state legislature?
State Senate District 3 (Karen Young) and House of Delegates District 3 (Karen Simpson, Ken Kerr and Kris Fair). The House of Delegates district also covers parts of 1 neighboring town. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Frederick’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 →