Photo: Matthew.kowal · CC BY-SA 4.0Silver City spent more per resident in 2022 than 65% of similar cities
Silver City’s city government spent $21 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $2,210 per resident. Water and other utilities ($1.4 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Silver City is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,725 per resident in 2022: more than 65% of them
Silver City’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,725 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 46 New Mexico cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,426, and the middle half spent $848–$2,116. Silver City spent more than 65% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($4.1 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 →
New Mexico cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Silver City itself left out).
About $2,210 per resident a year, or $6.05 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 29%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 30% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Silver City 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: $1,725 · 2023: $1,878 · 2024: $2,210.
full-time in March 2025, up from 128 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 $852 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.47% of the home’s value, vs 0.70% across New Mexico.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Silver City’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 Silver City’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Silver City →
Who’s in charge in Silver City
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Silver City’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on townofsilvercity.org ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 63 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 (9,520).
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.
Silver City Consolidated Schools
Silver City’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $19,309 per pupil, $9,992 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.
New Mexico districts overall: 17% local, 64% state, 20% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Silver City’s votes are counted by county
New Mexico reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Silver City alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Grant County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat52.1%7,298 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican47.0%6,580 votesOthers: 0.9% (120 votes).
Most votes in Grant County: Kamala D Harris
New Mexico: Harris 51.9%, Trump 45.9%
100% of Silver City lies in Grant County. Every 2024 race in Grant County is on the county’s page.
Grant 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 Silver City.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: townofsilvercity.org ↗
- 2New Mexico HouseState representatives
- 3New Mexico SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of New Mexico
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Silver City compares with the towns next door
Silver City spent $1,725 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Silver City | $1,725 | $852 |
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 Silver City’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Silver City’s government
How much does Silver City spend per resident?
About $2,210 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 $1,725 was more than 65% of 46 New Mexico cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Silver City?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $852 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.47% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.70% across New Mexico. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see townofsilvercity.org.
Who runs Silver City’s government?
See townofsilvercity.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Silver City yet.
How did Silver City vote in 2024?
New Mexico counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Silver City alone. Grant County, where 100% of Silver City lies, voted Harris 52.1%, Trump 47.0% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Silver City?
152 full-time and 0 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $831,239 (about $10.0M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Silver City in the state legislature?
State Senate District 28 (Gabriel Ramos) and State House District 39 (Luis Terrazas). The House district also covers four other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Silver City’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 →