Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0Syracuse spent less per resident in 2022 than 90% of similar cities
Syracuse’s city government spent $869.6 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $6,020 per resident. Water and other utilities ($16 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Syracuse is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$3,504 per resident in 2022: less than 90% of them
Syracuse’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($3,504 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 20 U.S. cities of 100,000–249,999 that run their own schools: the median was $5,131, and the middle half spent $4,398–$5,764. Syracuse spent less than 90% of them.
Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
U.S. cities of 100,000–249,999 that run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Syracuse itself left out).
About $6,020 per resident a year, or $16.49 a day
Schools are part of the city’s budget, so they lead the receipt: 66% of day-to-day spending.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Syracuse runs its own schools, so school spending is part of this budget. Comparisons are with U.S. cities of 100,000–249,999 that run their own schools.
Day-to-day spending is up 76% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Syracuse 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: $3,504 · 2023: $5,576 · 2024: $6,020.
full-time in March 2025, down from 5,226 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 $3,210 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 2.32% 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 Syracuse’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 Syracuse’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Syracuse →
Who’s in charge in Syracuse
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time city employee for every 29 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 (144,451).
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.
Syracuse City School District
Syracuse’s K–12 school district. The schools are run by Syracuse, so this money is part of the budget above.
Of the $28,865 per pupil, $16,882 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.
Syracuse’s votes are counted by county
New York reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Syracuse alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Onondaga County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat58.3%133,155 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican41.1%93,916 votesOthers: 0.6% (1,310 votes).
Most votes in Onondaga County: Kamala D Harris
New York: Harris 55.9%, Trump 43.3%
100% of Syracuse lies in Onondaga County. Every 2024 race in Onondaga County is on the county’s page.
Onondaga 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
Every level of government that speaks for Syracuse.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: syr.gov ↗
- 2New York AssemblySyracuse is split between 2 districts
- 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 Syracuse compares with the towns next door
No neighbor is close in size, so the comparison above uses U.S. cities of 100,000–249,999 that run their own schools. Tap a town to see its page.
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 Syracuse’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Syracuse’s government
How much does Syracuse spend per resident?
About $6,020 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 $3,504 was less than 90% of 20 U.S. cities of 100,000–249,999 that run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Syracuse?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,210 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 2.32% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.55% across New York. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see syr.gov.
Who runs Syracuse’s government?
See syr.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Syracuse yet.
How did Syracuse vote in 2024?
New York counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Syracuse alone. Onondaga County, where 100% of Syracuse lies, voted Harris 58.3%, Trump 41.1% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Syracuse?
4,980 full-time and 941 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $37.1M (about $445.6M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Syracuse in the state legislature?
Syracuse is split among 2 Assembly districts, so your address decides. The New York Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Its State Senate district is District 48 (Rachel May). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Syracuse’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 →