Photo: Erik Drost · CC BY 4.0Cleveland spent more per resident in 2022 than 89% of similar cities
Cleveland’s city government spent $900.3 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, about $2,490 per resident. Water and other utilities ($348.5 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Cleveland is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
Who’s in charge in Cleveland
From public records with a current term; a name is hidden the day its term ends.
About $2,490 per resident a year, or $6.82 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 43%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,763 per resident in 2022: more than 89% of them
Cleveland’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,763 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 515 Ohio cities that don’t run their own schools: the median was $672, and the middle half spent $374–$1,110. Cleveland spent more than 89% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($56.9 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 →
Ohio cities that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Cleveland itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is up 35% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Cleveland 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: $1,763 · 2023: $1,870 · 2024: $2,490. Per resident it went from $1,763 to $2,490 (up 41%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 378,589 to 361,607.
full-time in March 2025, down from 6,837 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 $1,759 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.72% of the home’s value, vs 1.31% across Ohio.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Cleveland’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 Cleveland’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Cleveland →
One full-time city employee for every 54 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 (361,607).
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.
Cleveland Municipal School District
Cleveland’s K–12 school district, shared with Bratenahl, Linndale, Newburgh Heights. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $24,642 per pupil, $13,677 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.
Ohio districts overall: 53% local, 35% state, 12% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
How Cleveland voted in 2024
Official results for Cleveland’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat77.8%93,896 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican21.4%25,858 votesOthers: 0.8% (973 votes).
Most votes in Cleveland: Kamala D Harris
Cuyahoga County: Harris 65.4%, Trump 33.9% · Ohio: Trump 55.1%, Harris 43.9%
of Cleveland’s 278,749 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Ohio: 64%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Cleveland: Sherrod Brown
Cuyahoga County: Brown 67.5%, Moreno 30.0% · Ohio: Moreno 50.1%, Brown 46.5%
Most votes in the district: Shontel Brown
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Cleveland, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveland | 77.8% | 21.4% | 0.8% | 120,727 |
| Cuyahoga County | 65.4% | 33.9% | 0.8% | 575,890 |
| Ohio | 43.9% | 55.1% | 0.9% | 5,767,788 |
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
Cleveland sends 9 representatives to the Ohio House alone.
- 1Your cityMayorJustin Bibbas listed by Open States, October 9, 2026
- 2Ohio HouseCleveland is split between 9 districts
- 3Ohio SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Ohio
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Cleveland compares with the towns next door
No neighbor is close in size, so the comparison above uses Ohio cities that don’t run their own schools. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Fairview Park | $1,063 | $5,123 |
| Lakewood | $1,183 | $5,266 |
| Brook Park | $1,371 | $2,811 |
| Bratenahl | $2,081 | $7,209 |
| Cuyahoga Heights | $5,080 | $2,606 |
| Shaker Heights | estimate | $9,168 |
| East Cleveland | estimate | $1,329 |
| Brooklyn | estimate | $3,236 |
| Cleveland Heights | estimate | $5,306 |
| Euclid | estimate | $2,793 |
| Cleveland | $1,763 | $1,759 |
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 Cleveland’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Cleveland’s government
How much does Cleveland spend per resident?
About $2,490 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 $1,763 was more than 89% of 515 Ohio cities that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Cleveland?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,759 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.72% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.31% across Ohio. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the city’s assessor.
Who is the mayor of Cleveland?
Justin Bibb, as listed by Open States (checked October 9, 2026).
How did Cleveland vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 77.8%, Donald J Trump 21.4% (120,727 votes, official results). Cuyahoga County: Harris 65.4%, Trump 33.9%. Ohio: Trump 55.1%, Harris 43.9%.
How many people work for Cleveland?
6,759 full-time and 501 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $46.7M (about $560.6M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Cleveland in the state legislature?
Cleveland is split among 9 State House districts and 4 State Senate districts, so your address decides. The Ohio Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Cleveland’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 →