Photo: Stilfehler 19:28, 9 July 2007 (CEST) · CC BY-SA 1.0Elmira spent less per resident in 2022 than 72% of similar cities
Elmira’s city government spent $39.2 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, about $1,518 per resident. Water and other utilities ($7.3 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Elmira is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,266 per resident in 2022: less than 72% of them
Elmira’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,266 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 18 New York cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,578, and the middle half spent $1,294–$2,062. Elmira spent less than 72% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($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 York cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Elmira itself left out).
About $1,518 per resident a year, or $4.16 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 20%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 15% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Elmira 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: $1,266 · 2023: $1,394 · 2024: $1,518. Per resident it went from $1,266 to $1,518 (up 20%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 27,045 to 25,852.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $2,918 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 3.14% 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 Elmira’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 Elmira’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Elmira →
Who’s in charge in Elmira
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Elmira’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on cityofelmira.net ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 101 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (25,852).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Elmira City School District
Elmira’s K–12 school district, shared with Wellsburg, Southport, Ashland, Elmira, Baldwin. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $23,921 per pupil, $14,915 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 Elmira voted in 2024
Official results for Elmira’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat52.6%4,060 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican46.9%3,619 votesOthers: 0.5% (40 votes).
Most votes in Elmira: Kamala D Harris
Chemung County: Trump 58.2%, Harris 41.5% · New York: Harris 55.9%, Trump 43.3%
of Elmira’s 19,891 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across New York: 59%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Elmira: Kirsten E Gillibrand
Chemung County: Sapraicone 56.1%, Gillibrand 43.4% · New York: Gillibrand 58.8%, Sapraicone 40.5%
Most votes in the district: Nicholas A Langworthy
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Elmira, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elmira | 52.6% | 46.9% | 0.5% | 7,719 |
| Chemung County | 41.5% | 58.2% | 0.3% | 37,560 |
| 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 Elmira.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: cityofelmira.net ↗
- 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 Elmira compares with the towns next door
Elmira spent $1,266 per resident in 2022. Most of its neighbors are townships, a different kind of government, so the like-for-like comparison is with similar cities, above. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Southport | $372 | $2,577 |
| Elmira | $1,266 | $2,918 |
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 Elmira’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Elmira’s government
How much does Elmira spend per resident?
About $1,518 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 $1,266 was less than 72% of 18 New York cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Elmira?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,918 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 3.14% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.55% across New York. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cityofelmira.net.
Who runs Elmira’s government?
See cityofelmira.net for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Elmira yet.
How did Elmira vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 52.6%, Donald J Trump 46.9% (7,719 votes, official results). Chemung County: Trump 58.2%, Harris 41.5%. New York: Harris 55.9%, Trump 43.3%.
How many people work for Elmira?
255 full-time and 39 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $1.6M (about $19.2M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Elmira in the state legislature?
State Senate District 58 (Tom O'Mara) and Assembly District 124 (Chris Friend). The Assembly district also covers 30 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Elmira’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 →