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Clayton-NY-2019Photo: Smerdis · CC BY-SA 4.0
Town Hall · Clayton

Clayton spent more per resident in 2022 than 81% of similar cities

Clayton’s village government spent $2.4 million on day-to-day services in the year to May 31, 2022, about $1,347 per resident. Water and other utilities ($366,000) are counted separately.

Town website
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$2.4M
year to May 31, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$1,347
In 2022: $1,347, more than 81% of 301 similar cities
Long-term debt
$10.5M
end of FY2022, reported
Village staff, 2022
13
full-time · 4 part-time · March payroll $68,442
Typical tax bill
$4,013
1.73% of home value · NY 1.55%

What stands out about how Clayton is run

Read from the village’s budget and official records.

Spends more than most similar citiesIn 2022: $1,347 per resident, more than 81% of 301 similar cities.Runs its own water & sewer38% of day-to-day spending goes to water, sewer and trash (2022).A shared school districtShares Thousand Islands Central School District with 3 other towns.Low bills, a higher rateThe typical bill is $4,013 a year: 1.73% of the home’s value, vs 1.55% across New York.
Compared with similar places

$1,347 per resident in 2022: more than 81% of them

Clayton’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,347 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 301 New York cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $757, and the middle half spent $539–$1,136. Clayton spent more than 81% of them.

Middle half of the group, $539–$1,136Median $757Clayton

Includes sewer and trash ($686,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →

The group
301

New York cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Clayton itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $1,347 per resident a year, or $3.69 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 29%.

Where the money comes from
Property taxes 26%From the state 22%From other local governments 20%Fees & charges 13%Utility sales 12%Interest, fines & other 4%Sales taxes 1%Other taxes & licenses <1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $6.8 million; interest on debt $451,000; payments to other governments $1,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $10 million.
About “Other”.27% of Clayton’s day-to-day spending ($639,000) is filed by the Census Bureau outside the named functions above, so the receipt can’t say what it buys.
Over the years

No trend yet

Clayton reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $4,013 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.73% of the home’s value, vs 1.55% across New York.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

New York$6,582
Clayton$4,013
$4,013
typical bill a year
1.73%
effective rate
$231,800
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Clayton’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. In a town this small the estimate has a wide margin.

Tax bills are one input to Clayton’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Clayton →

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Clayton

Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.

See townofclayton.com for Clayton’s current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Clayton yet.townofclayton.com ↗
Agendas

Clayton’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The village posts agendas and minutes on townofclayton.com ↗.

Who works for Clayton

One full-time village employee for every 137 residents

On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (1,775).

By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022

Roads & transportation6 + 1 pt
Police2 + 3 pt
Sewer & trash3
Administration & buildings2
13
full-time
4
part-time
$68,442
payroll for March 2022
$821,304
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$59,700
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
2
sworn police officers
Compared, 2022.Clayton had 7.3 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 243 of the 301 New York cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 4.1: Clayton had more than 79% of them. Same group and year as the budget comparison.

The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.

The school district

Thousand Islands Central School District

Clayton’s K–12 school district, shared with Cape Vincent, Cape Vincent, Clayton. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Clayton →
$24,271
per pupil · NY $34,607
841
students
$5.2 million
long-term debt

Of the $24,271 per pupil, $13,653 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.

The district: schools, scores and graduation →

Where the district’s money comes from
Local 51%State 42%Federal 6%

New York districts overall: 51% local, 41% state, 8% federal.

School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.

Elections · 2024 general election

Clayton’s votes are counted by county

New York reports official results by county and precinct, not by village, so there are no official results for Clayton alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Jefferson County’s results.

President · Jefferson County’s results43,050 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican61.3%26,405 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat37.9%16,312 votes

Others: 0.8% (333 votes).

Most votes in Jefferson County: Donald J Trump

New York: Harris 55.9%, Trump 43.3%

The county’s page

100% of Clayton lies in Jefferson County. Every 2024 race in Jefferson County is on the county’s page.

Jefferson County’s 2024 results →
DemocratRepublicanLibertarianIndependent / other

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.

Who represents Clayton

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Clayton.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Officials: townofclayton.com ↗
  2. 2
    New York AssemblyState representatives
    Scott Gray
  3. 3
    New York SenateState senator
    Mark Walczyk
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
    Kathy Hochul
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
    Claudia Tenney
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of New York
    Charles E. SchumerKirsten E. Gillibrand

Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.

Reach Clayton’s government

The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.

The Handbook →
Official websitetownofclayton.com ↗

Questions about Clayton’s government

How much does Clayton spend per resident?

About $1,347 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to May 31, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,347 was more than 81% of 301 New York cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Clayton?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $4,013 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.73% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.55% across New York. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see townofclayton.com.

Who runs Clayton’s government?

See townofclayton.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Clayton yet.

How did Clayton vote in 2024?

New York counts votes by county and precinct, not by village, so there are no official results for Clayton alone. Jefferson County, where 100% of Clayton lies, voted Trump 61.3%, Harris 37.9% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Clayton?

13 full-time and 4 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $68,442 (about $821,304 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Clayton in the state legislature?

State Senate District 49 (Mark Walczyk) and Assembly District 116 (Scott Gray). The Assembly district also covers 46 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Clayton’s government

Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.

Town Square →
Ask neighbors

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 →