Photo: Lightmetro · CC BY-SA 4.0Clayton spent more per resident in 2022 than 81% of similar cities
Clayton’s city government spent $28.4 million on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2024, about $1,656 per resident.
What stands out about how Clayton is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,394 per resident in 2022: more than 81% of them
Clayton’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,394 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 26 Missouri cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $885, and the middle half spent $696–$1,100. Clayton spent more than 81% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($2.1 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 →
Missouri cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Clayton itself left out).
About $1,656 per resident a year, or $4.54 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: fire, at 21%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 21% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Clayton 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: $1,394 · 2023: $1,562 · 2024: $1,656.
full-time in March 2025, up from 171 in 2022.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
Typical bills top $10,000 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Clayton’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 Clayton’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Clayton →
Who’s in charge in Clayton
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Clayton’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on claytonmo.gov ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 94 residents
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 (17,130).
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.
Clayton School District
Clayton’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $24,787 per pupil, $14,534 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.
Missouri districts overall: 54% local, 35% state, 11% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Clayton’s votes are counted by county
Missouri reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Clayton alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are St. Louis County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat60.8%305,635 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican37.4%187,982 votesOthers: 1.8% (9,121 votes).
Most votes in St. Louis County: Kamala D Harris
Missouri: Trump 58.5%, Harris 40.1%
100% of Clayton lies in St. Louis County. Every 2024 race in St. Louis County is on the county’s page.
St. Louis 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 Clayton.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: claytonmo.gov ↗
- 2Missouri HouseClayton is split between 2 districts
- 3Missouri SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Missouri
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Clayton compares with the towns next door
Clayton spent $1,394 per resident in 2022; the 3 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $987 to $2,747. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| University City | $987 | $3,640 |
| Ladue | $1,672 | $10,000+ |
| St. Louis | $2,747 | $2,033 |
| Richmond Heights | estimate | $4,660 |
| Clayton | $1,394 | $10,000+ |
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 Clayton’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Clayton’s government
How much does Clayton spend per resident?
About $1,656 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 $1,394 was more than 81% of 26 Missouri cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.
Who runs Clayton’s government?
See claytonmo.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Clayton yet.
How did Clayton vote in 2024?
Missouri counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Clayton alone. St. Louis County, where 100% of Clayton lies, voted Harris 60.8%, Trump 37.4% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Clayton?
183 full-time and 227 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $1.5M (about $18.0M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Clayton in the state legislature?
Clayton is split among 2 State House districts, so your address decides. The Missouri Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Its State Senate district is District 4 (Karla May). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Clayton’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 →