Photo: AJHalliwell at en.wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0How is Garfield Heights run?
Garfield Heights’ city government spent $32.1 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2023, about $1,094 per resident. These are Census Bureau estimates: Garfield Heights didn’t report its figures, so this page shows them without comparisons.
What stands out about how Garfield Heights is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
One full-time city employee for every 153 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2023 finance file (29,369).
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.
About $1,094 per resident a year, or $3.00 a day
Day-to-day services only (a Census Bureau estimate). The biggest line: fire, at 41%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Garfield Heights didn’t report all of its 2023 figures to the Census Bureau, so most of these numbers are the Bureau’s estimates.
No comparison or trend for Garfield Heights yet
Every year of Garfield Heights’ figures is a Census Bureau estimate: the city reported none of its dollars for 2022–2023. Estimates are shown above, labeled, but never ranked against places that reported or drawn as a trend.
How Town Hall compares budgets →full-time in March 2025, down from 210 in 2022.
The typical homeowner pays $2,912 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 2.65% 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 Garfield Heights’ 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 Garfield Heights’ Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Garfield Heights →
Who’s in charge in Garfield Heights
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Garfield Heights’ meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on garfieldhts.org ↗.
Garfield Heights City School District
Garfield Heights’ K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $20,492 per pupil, $10,433 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.
Cleveland Municipal School District · $24,642 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
How Garfield Heights voted in 2024
Official results for Garfield Heights’ own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat74.9%7,916 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican24.2%2,558 votesOthers: 0.8% (89 votes).
Most votes in Garfield Heights: Kamala D Harris
Cuyahoga County: Harris 65.4%, Trump 33.9% · Ohio: Trump 55.1%, Harris 43.9%
of Garfield Heights’ 22,361 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Ohio: 64%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Garfield Heights: 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: Garfield Heights, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Garfield Heights | 74.9% | 24.2% | 0.8% | 10,563 |
| 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
Every level of government that speaks for Garfield Heights.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: garfieldhts.org ↗
- 2Ohio HouseState representatives
- 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 Garfield Heights compares with the towns next door
Garfield Heights’ own figures are Census estimates, so it isn’t placed among its neighbors. 4 of the 4 towns next door reported 2022 figures, from $858 to $5,712 per resident. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Maple Heights | $858 | $2,523 |
| Cleveland | $1,763 | $1,759 |
| Cuyahoga Heights | $5,080 | $2,606 |
| Valley View | $5,712 | $4,060 |
| Garfield Heights | estimate | $2,912 |
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 Garfield Heights’ government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Garfield Heights’ government
How much does Garfield Heights spend per resident?
About $1,094 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2023, a Census Bureau estimate (Garfield Heights didn’t report its figures). With building projects and interest, the whole budget was about $38.2 million.
What is the property tax rate in Garfield Heights?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,912 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 2.65% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.31% across Ohio. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see garfieldhts.org.
Who runs Garfield Heights’ government?
See garfieldhts.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Garfield Heights yet.
How did Garfield Heights vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 74.9%, Donald J Trump 24.2% (10,563 votes, official results). Cuyahoga County: Harris 65.4%, Trump 33.9%. Ohio: Trump 55.1%, Harris 43.9%.
How many people work for Garfield Heights?
192 full-time and 76 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $1.4M (about $16.3M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Garfield Heights in the state legislature?
State Senate District 21 (Kent Smith) and State House District 22 (Darnell Brewer). The House district also covers four other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Garfield Heights’ 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 (for Garfield Heights, the Bureau’s estimates); 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 →