Photo: Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, NPS from St. Louis, MO, USA · CC BY 2.0St. Louis spent more per resident in 2022 than 99% of similar cities
St. Louis’ city government spent $940.8 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2023, about $3,208 per resident. That is its newest year reported to the Census Bureau. Water and other utilities ($61.6 million) and the airport ($102.5 million) are counted separately.
Transportation & Commerce Committee
10:00 am · 1200 Market Street, Board of Aldermen Chambers
All meetings →What stands out about how St. Louis is run
Read from the city’s budget, meetings and official records.
6 upcoming meetings at town hall
From St. Louis’ own agenda portal, checked daily. Agendas can change up to the meeting, so check before you go.
- Nov4Transportation & Commerce CommitteeWednesday · 10:00 am · 1200 Market Street, Board of Aldermen ChambersAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov4Budget & Public Employees CommitteeWednesday · 10:00 am · 1200 Market Street, Kennedy Hearing Room 208Budget & Public Employees Committee MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov5Public Safety CommitteeThursday · 2:00 pm · 1200 Market Street, Kennedy Hearing Room 208Agenda ↗Meeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov6Board of AldermenFriday · 10:00 am · 1200 Market St., Board of Aldermen ChambersFull Board MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov10Housing, Urban Development & Zoning CommitteeTuesday · 11:00 am · 1200 Market Street, Kennedy Hearing Room 208Housing Urban Development and ZoningAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov11Budget & Public Employees CommitteeWednesday · 10:00 am · 1200 Market Street, Kennedy Hearing Room 208Budget & Public Employees Committee MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
Recent meetings
- Nov2Housing, Urban Development & Zoning CommitteeMonday · 11:00 am · 1200 Market Street, Kennedy Hearing Room 208Housing, Urban Development and ZoningAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Oct30Board of AldermenFriday · 10:00 am · 1200 Market St., Board of Aldermen ChambersFull Board MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Oct29Public Safety CommitteeThursday · 2:00 pm · 1200 Market Street, Kennedy Hearing Room 208Agenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Oct28Health & Human Development CommitteeWednesday · 5:15 pm · 1200 Market Street, Kennedy Hearing Room 208Health & Human Development Committee MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Oct28Public Infrastructure & Utilities CommitteeWednesday · 3:30 pm · 1200 Market Street, Kennedy Hearing Room 208Public Infrastructure and UtilitiesAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
Most meetings are open to the public, and many have a public comment period at the start.
Agenda portal ↗About $3,208 per resident a year, or $8.79 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 31%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$2,747 per resident in 2022: more than 99% of them
St. Louis’ day-to-day spending in 2022 ($2,747 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 482 Missouri cities that don’t run their own schools: the median was $442, and the middle half spent $188–$812. St. Louis spent more than 99% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($18.5 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 →
Missouri cities that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; St. Louis itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is up 15% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years St. Louis 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: $2,747 · 2023: $3,208.
full-time in March 2025, up from 6,339 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 St. Louis
From public records with a current term; a name is hidden the day its term ends.
Council members and agencies: greaterstlinc.com ↗
The typical homeowner pays $2,033 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.03% 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 St. Louis’ 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 St. Louis’ Cost of living grade. Cost of living in St. Louis →
One full-time city employee for every 46 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2023 finance file (293,310).
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.
St. Louis City School District
St. Louis’ K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $23,121 per pupil, $9,862 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.
How St. Louis voted in 2024
Official results for St. Louis’ own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat81.2%94,458 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican16.6%19,342 votesOthers: 2.1% (2,471 votes).
Most votes in St. Louis: Kamala D Harris
St. Louis city: Harris 81.2%, Trump 16.6% · Missouri: Trump 58.5%, Harris 40.1%
of St. Louis’ 225,265 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Missouri: 64%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in St. Louis: Lucas Kunce
St. Louis city: Kunce 81.2%, Hawley 15.6% · Missouri: Hawley 55.6%, Kunce 41.8%
Most votes in St. Louis: Crystal Quade
St. Louis city: Quade 79.0%, Kehoe 18.6% · Missouri: Kehoe 59.1%, Quade 38.7%
Most votes in the district: Wesley Bell
Whole-district result
President, 2024: St. Louis, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Louis | 81.2% | 16.6% | 2.1% | 116,271 |
| St. Louis city | 81.2% | 16.6% | 2.1% | 116,271 |
| Missouri | 40.1% | 58.5% | 1.4% | 2,995,327 |
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
St. Louis sends 8 representatives to the Missouri House alone.
- 1Your cityMayorCara Spenceras listed by Open States, October 9, 2026
- 2Missouri HouseSt. Louis is split between 8 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 St. Louis compares with the towns next door
No neighbor is close in size, so the comparison above uses Missouri cities that don’t run their own schools. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Riverview | $485 | $1,387 |
| Clayton | $1,394 | $10,000+ |
| Richmond Heights | estimate | $4,660 |
| St. Louis | $2,747 | $2,033 |
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 St. Louis’ government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about St. Louis’ government
How much does St. Louis spend per resident?
About $3,208 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2023, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $2,747 was more than 99% of 482 Missouri cities that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in St. Louis?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,033 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.03% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.85% across Missouri. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see greaterstlinc.com.
Who is the mayor of St. Louis?
Cara Spencer, as listed by Open States (checked October 9, 2026). The council and agencies are listed on greaterstlinc.com.
How did St. Louis vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 81.2%, Donald J Trump 16.6% (116,271 votes, official results). St. Louis city: Harris 81.2%, Trump 16.6%. Missouri: Trump 58.5%, Harris 40.1%.
How many people work for St. Louis?
6,429 full-time and 105 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $43.1M (about $517.5M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents St. Louis in the state legislature?
St. Louis is split among 8 State House districts and 2 State Senate districts, so your address decides. The Missouri Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
When is the next public meeting in St. Louis?
The next posted meeting is Transportation & Commerce Committee on Wednesday, November 4, at 10:00 am in 1200 Market Street, Board of Aldermen Chambers, from the city’s own agenda portal.
Ask neighbors about St. Louis’ 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 →