Photo: Mike McBey · CC BY 2.0Las Vegas spent less per resident in 2022 than 97% of similar cities
Las Vegas’ city government spent $717.9 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $1,094 per resident.
What stands out about how Las Vegas is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
Who’s in charge in Las Vegas
From public records with a current term; a name is hidden the day its term ends.
Council members and agencies: lasvegasnevada.gov ↗
Las Vegas’ meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on lasvegasnevada.gov ↗.
About $1,094 per resident a year, or $3.00 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: fire, at 25%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$929 per resident in 2022: less than 97% of them
Las Vegas’ day-to-day spending in 2022 ($929 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 29 U.S. cities of 500,000+ that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,764, and the middle half spent $1,404–$2,795. Las Vegas spent less than 97% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($69.1 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 →
U.S. cities of 500,000+ that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Las Vegas itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is up 17% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Las Vegas 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: $929 · 2023: $1,015 · 2024: $1,094.
full-time in March 2025, up from 2,605 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 $2,065 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.48% of the home’s value, vs 0.47% across Nevada.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Las Vegas’ 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 Las Vegas’ Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Las Vegas →
One full-time city employee for every 235 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 (656,274).
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.
Clark County School District
Las Vegas’ K–12 school district, shared with Boulder City, Henderson, Mesquite, North Las Vegas. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $14,774 per pupil, $9,284 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.
Nevada districts overall: 16% local, 70% state, 14% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Las Vegas’ votes are counted by county
Nevada reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Las Vegas alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Clark County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat50.4%520,126 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican47.8%492,954 votesOthers: 1.7% (17,979 votes).
Most votes in Clark County: Kamala D Harris
Nevada: Trump 50.6%, Harris 47.5%
100% of Las Vegas lies in Clark County. Every 2024 race in Clark County is on the county’s page.
Clark 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
Las Vegas sends 16 members to the State Assembly alone.
- 1Your cityMayorShelley Berkleyas listed by Open States, October 9, 2026
- 2Nevada AssemblyLas Vegas is split between 16 districts
- 3Nevada SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseSplit between districts
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Nevada
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Las Vegas compares with the towns next door
Las Vegas spent $929 per resident in 2022; the neighbor that reported 2022 spent $968. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| North Las Vegas | $968 | $1,854 |
| Las Vegas | $929 | $2,065 |
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 Las Vegas’ government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Las Vegas’ government
How much does Las Vegas spend per resident?
About $1,094 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 $929 was less than 97% of 29 U.S. cities of 500,000+ that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Las Vegas?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,065 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.48% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.47% across Nevada. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see lasvegasnevada.gov.
Who is the mayor of Las Vegas?
Shelley Berkley, as listed by Open States (checked October 9, 2026). The council and agencies are listed on lasvegasnevada.gov.
How did Las Vegas vote in 2024?
Nevada counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Las Vegas alone. Clark County, where 100% of Las Vegas lies, voted Harris 50.4%, Trump 47.8% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Las Vegas?
2,797 full-time and 755 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $25.2M (about $302.5M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Las Vegas in the state legislature?
Las Vegas is split among 16 Assembly districts and 10 State Senate districts, so your address decides. The Nevada Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Las Vegas’ 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 →