Photo: Bruce Emmerling · CC BY-SA 4.0Richmond spent more per resident in 2022 than 74% of similar cities
Richmond’s city government spent $1.5 billion on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $6,752 per resident. Water and other utilities ($264.8 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Richmond is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
Who’s in charge in Richmond
From public records with a current term; a name is hidden the day its term ends.
About $6,752 per resident a year, or $18.50 a day
Schools are part of the city’s budget, so they lead the receipt: 32% of day-to-day spending.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Richmond runs its own schools, so school spending is part of this budget. Comparisons are with Virginia cities that run their own schools.
$5,478 per resident in 2022: more than 74% of them
Richmond’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($5,478 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 34 Virginia cities that run their own schools: the median was $4,692, and the middle half spent $4,188–$5,533. Richmond spent more than 74% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($84.1 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 →
Virginia cities that run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Richmond itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is up 22% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Richmond 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: $5,478 · 2023: $6,022 · 2024: $6,752.
full-time in March 2025, up from 7,807 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 $3,150 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.89% of the home’s value, vs 0.73% across Virginia.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Richmond’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 Richmond’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Richmond →
One full-time city employee for every 27 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 (229,395).
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.
Richmond City Public Schools
Richmond’s K–12 school district. The schools are run by Richmond, so this money is part of the budget above.
Of the $23,712 per pupil, $12,662 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.
Virginia districts overall: 49% local, 41% state, 10% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
How Richmond voted in 2024
Official results for Richmond’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat81.6%88,710 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican15.7%17,041 votesOthers: 2.7% (2,980 votes).
Most votes in Richmond: Kamala D Harris
Richmond city: Harris 81.6%, Trump 15.7% · Virginia: Harris 51.8%, Trump 46.1%
of Richmond’s 177,990 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Virginia: 71%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Richmond: Timothy M Kaine
Richmond city: Kaine 83.6%, Cao 16.2% · Virginia: Kaine 54.4%, Cao 45.4%
Most votes in the district: Jennifer L McClellan
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Richmond, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richmond | 81.6% | 15.7% | 2.7% | 108,731 |
| Richmond city | 81.6% | 15.7% | 2.7% | 108,731 |
| Virginia | 51.8% | 46.1% | 2.1% | 4,503,288 |
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 Richmond.
- 1Your cityMayorDanny Avulaas listed by Open States, October 9, 2026
- 2Virginia House of DelegatesRichmond is split between 3 districts
- 3Virginia SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Virginia
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Richmond compares with the towns next door
No neighbor is close in size, so the comparison above uses Virginia cities that run their own schools. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Richmond | $5,478 | $3,150 |
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 Richmond’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Richmond’s government
How much does Richmond spend per resident?
About $6,752 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 $5,478 was more than 74% of 34 Virginia cities that run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Richmond?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,150 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.89% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.73% across Virginia. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the city’s assessor.
Who is the mayor of Richmond?
Danny Avula, as listed by Open States (checked October 9, 2026).
How did Richmond vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 81.6%, Donald J Trump 15.7% (108,731 votes, official results). Richmond city: Harris 81.6%, Trump 15.7%. Virginia: Harris 51.8%, Trump 46.1%.
How many people work for Richmond?
8,428 full-time and 221 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $55.9M (about $671.1M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Richmond in the state legislature?
Richmond is split among 3 House of Delegates districts and 2 State Senate districts, so your address decides. The Virginia Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Richmond’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 →