Photo: Nandaro · CC BY-SA 3.0Niagara Falls spent more per resident in 2022 than 100% of similar cities
Niagara Falls’ city government spent $137.5 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, about $2,864 per resident.
What stands out about how Niagara Falls is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$2,568 per resident in 2022: more than 100% of them
Niagara Falls’ day-to-day spending in 2022 ($2,568 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 $1,542, and the middle half spent $1,249–$1,925. Niagara Falls spent more than 100% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($4.8 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; Niagara Falls itself left out).
About $2,864 per resident a year, or $7.85 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 16%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 13% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Niagara Falls 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: $2,568 · 2023: $3,214 · 2024: $2,864.
full-time in March 2025, up from 591 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 $2,786 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 2.42% 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 Niagara Falls’ 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 Niagara Falls’ Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Niagara Falls →
Who’s in charge in Niagara Falls
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Niagara Falls’ meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on niagarafallsusa.org ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 78 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (47,993).
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.
Niagara Falls City School District
Niagara Falls’ K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $24,891 per pupil, $15,330 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 Niagara Falls voted in 2024
Official results for Niagara Falls’ own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat54.7%9,443 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican44.5%7,682 votesOthers: 0.8% (133 votes).
Most votes in Niagara Falls: Kamala D Harris
Niagara County: Trump 57.0%, Harris 42.2% · New York: Harris 55.9%, Trump 43.3%
of Niagara Falls’ 36,837 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across New York: 59%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Niagara Falls: Kirsten E Gillibrand
Niagara County: Sapraicone 54.4%, Gillibrand 45.1% · New York: Gillibrand 58.8%, Sapraicone 40.5%
Most votes in the district: Timothy M Kennedy
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Niagara Falls, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Niagara Falls | 54.7% | 44.5% | 0.8% | 17,258 |
| Niagara County | 42.2% | 57.0% | 0.8% | 102,918 |
| 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 Niagara Falls.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: niagarafallsusa.org ↗
- 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 Niagara Falls compares with the towns next door
Niagara Falls spent $2,568 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Wheatfield | $543 | $5,735 |
| Grand Island | $747 | $5,850 |
| Lewiston | $833 | $4,983 |
| Niagara | $926 | $3,388 |
| Niagara Falls | $2,568 | $2,786 |
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 Niagara Falls’ government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Niagara Falls’ government
How much does Niagara Falls spend per resident?
About $2,864 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 $2,568 was more than 100% of 18 New York cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Niagara Falls?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,786 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 2.42% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.55% across New York. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see niagarafallsusa.org.
Who runs Niagara Falls’ government?
See niagarafallsusa.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Niagara Falls yet.
How did Niagara Falls vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 54.7%, Donald J Trump 44.5% (17,258 votes, official results). Niagara County: Trump 57.0%, Harris 42.2%. New York: Harris 55.9%, Trump 43.3%.
How many people work for Niagara Falls?
613 full-time and 20 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $3.8M (about $45.6M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Niagara Falls in the state legislature?
State Senate District 62 (Rob Ortt) and Assembly District 145 (Angelo Morinello). The Assembly district also covers nine other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Niagara Falls’ 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 →