Photo: Paul Sableman · CC BY 2.0Kirkwood spent more per resident in 2022 than 78% of similar cities
Kirkwood’s city government spent $40.7 million on day-to-day services in the year to March 31, 2024, about $1,391 per resident. Water and other utilities ($33.6 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Kirkwood is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,201 per resident in 2022: more than 78% of them
Kirkwood’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,201 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 40 Missouri cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $955, and the middle half spent $666–$1,110. Kirkwood spent more than 78% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($2.7 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 →
Missouri cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Kirkwood itself left out).
About $1,391 per resident a year, or $3.81 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 28%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 22% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Kirkwood 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: $1,201 · 2023: $1,236 · 2024: $1,391. Per resident it went from $1,201 to $1,391 (up 16%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 27,866 to 29,279.
full-time in March 2025, up from 278 in 2022.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $4,691 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.04% of the home’s value, vs 0.85% across Missouri.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Kirkwood’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 Kirkwood’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Kirkwood →
Who’s in charge in Kirkwood
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Kirkwood’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on kirkwoodmo.org ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 103 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 (29,279).
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.
Kirkwood R-VII School District
Kirkwood’s K–12 school district, shared with Oakland, Glendale, Huntleigh, Des Peres, Warson Woods. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $15,021 per pupil, $9,170 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.
Kirkwood’s votes are counted by county
Missouri reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Kirkwood 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 Kirkwood 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 Kirkwood.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: kirkwoodmo.org ↗
- 2Missouri HouseState representatives
- 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 Kirkwood compares with the towns next door
Kirkwood spent $1,201 per resident in 2022; the 6 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $620 to $2,299. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Oakland | $620 | $4,418 |
| Warson Woods | $667 | $6,756 |
| Glendale | $904 | $5,611 |
| Sunset Hills | $961 | $5,031 |
| Des Peres | $1,746 | $5,900 |
| Frontenac | $2,299 | $10,000+ |
| Crestwood | estimate | $3,247 |
| Kirkwood | $1,201 | $4,691 |
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 Kirkwood’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Kirkwood’s government
How much does Kirkwood spend per resident?
About $1,391 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to March 31, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,201 was more than 78% of 40 Missouri cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Kirkwood?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $4,691 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.04% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.85% across Missouri. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see kirkwoodmo.org.
Who runs Kirkwood’s government?
See kirkwoodmo.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Kirkwood yet.
How did Kirkwood vote in 2024?
Missouri counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Kirkwood alone. St. Louis County, where 100% of Kirkwood lies, voted Harris 60.8%, Trump 37.4% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Kirkwood?
284 full-time and 53 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $2.2M (about $26.7M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Kirkwood in the state legislature?
State Senate District 24 (Tracy McCreery) and State House District 90 (Mark Boyko). The House district also covers 1 neighboring town. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Kirkwood’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 →