Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0Albany spent more per resident in 2022 than 70% of similar cities
Albany’s city government spent $199.2 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, about $1,976 per resident.
What stands out about how Albany is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
Who’s in charge in Albany
From public records with a current term; a name is hidden the day its term ends.
Council members and agencies: albanyny.gov ↗
Albany’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on albanyny.gov ↗.
About $1,976 per resident a year, or $5.41 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 32%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,898 per resident in 2022: more than 70% of them
Albany’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,898 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 23 New York cities of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,538, and the middle half spent $1,358–$2,030. Albany spent more than 70% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($6.9 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 York cities of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Albany itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is up 10% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Albany 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: $1,898 · 2023: $1,823 · 2024: $1,976. Per resident it went from $1,898 to $1,976 (up 4%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 95,429 to 100,826.
full-time in March 2025, up from 1,295 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 $5,091 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 2.17% of the home’s value, vs 1.55% across New York.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Albany’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 Albany’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Albany →
One full-time city employee for every 76 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 (100,826).
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.
Albany City School District
Albany’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $29,416 per pupil, $18,181 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 York districts overall: 51% local, 41% state, 8% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
How Albany voted in 2024
Official results for Albany’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat79.2%26,604 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican18.9%6,350 votesOthers: 1.9% (648 votes).
Most votes in Albany: Kamala D Harris
Albany County: Harris 61.9%, Trump 36.5% · New York: Harris 55.9%, Trump 43.3%
of Albany’s 79,691 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across New York: 59%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Albany: Kirsten E Gillibrand
Albany County: Gillibrand 65.3%, Sapraicone 34.0% · New York: Gillibrand 58.8%, Sapraicone 40.5%
Most votes in the district: Paul D Tonko
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Albany, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albany | 79.2% | 18.9% | 1.9% | 33,602 |
| Albany County | 61.9% | 36.5% | 1.7% | 149,677 |
| New York | 55.9% | 43.3% | 0.8% | 8,262,600 |
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 Albany.
- 1Your cityMayorDorcey Applyrsas listed by Open States, October 9, 2026
- 2New York AssemblyState representatives
- 3New York SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of New York
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Albany compares with the towns next door
Albany spent $1,898 per resident in 2022; the 3 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $851 to $1,357. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Bethlehem | $851 | $7,842 |
| Colonie | $1,204 | $4,590 |
| Menands | $1,357 | $5,866 |
| Guilderland | estimate | $6,314 |
| Rensselaer | estimate | $4,328 |
| Albany | $1,898 | $5,091 |
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 Albany’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Albany’s government
How much does Albany spend per resident?
About $1,976 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,898 was more than 70% of 23 New York cities of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Albany?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $5,091 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 2.17% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.55% across New York. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see albanyny.gov.
Who is the mayor of Albany?
Dorcey Applyrs, as listed by Open States (checked October 9, 2026). The council and agencies are listed on albanyny.gov.
How did Albany vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 79.2%, Donald J Trump 18.9% (33,602 votes, official results). Albany County: Harris 61.9%, Trump 36.5%. New York: Harris 55.9%, Trump 43.3%.
How many people work for Albany?
1,331 full-time and 121 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $9.9M (about $118.3M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Albany in the state legislature?
State Senate District 46 (Pat Fahy) and Assembly District 109 (Gabriella Romero). The Assembly district also covers four other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Albany’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 →