Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to Alhambra

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
Alhambra, CAPhoto: Jey0h · CC BY 3.0
Town Hall · Alhambra

Alhambra spent less per resident in 2022 than 67% of similar cities

Alhambra’s city government spent $86.5 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $1,039 per resident. Water and other utilities ($18.1 million) are counted separately.

Town website
Election Day

Tomorrow

General election in California.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$86.5M
year to June 30, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$1,039
In 2022: $1,039, less than 67% of 101 similar cities
Long-term debt
$31.0M
end of FY2022, reported
City staff, 2022
362
full-time · 172 part-time · March payroll $3.4M
Typical tax bill
$5,717
0.67% of home value · CA 0.70%

What stands out about how Alhambra is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

Compared with similar places

$1,039 per resident in 2022: less than 67% of them

Alhambra’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,039 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 101 California cities of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,270, and the middle half spent $889–$1,772. Alhambra spent less than 67% of them.

Middle half of the group, $889–$1,772Median $1,270Alhambra

Includes sewer and trash ($5.1 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 →

The group
101

California cities of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Alhambra itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $1,039 per resident a year, or $2.85 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 33%.

Where the money comes from
Sales taxes 25%Fees & charges 21%Property taxes 20%Other taxes & licenses 12%Utility sales 12%From the state 4%From the federal government 4%Interest, fines & other 1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $11.4 million; interest on debt $904,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $118.5 million.
Over the years

No trend yet

Alhambra reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $5,717 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.67% of the home’s value, vs 0.70% across California.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

San Marino$10,000+
South Pasadena$9,937
San Gabriel$6,908
Los Angeles$6,050
Monterey Park$5,957
Alhambra$5,717
California$5,124
$5,717
typical bill a year
0.67%
effective rate
$857,800
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Alhambra’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 Alhambra’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Alhambra →

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Alhambra

Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.

See cityofalhambra.org for Alhambra’s current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Alhambra yet.cityofalhambra.org ↗
Agendas

Alhambra’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on cityofalhambra.org ↗.

Who works for Alhambra

One full-time city employee for every 230 residents

On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (83,261).

By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022

Police121 + 20 pt
Parks & libraries42 + 130 pt
Fire63 + 2 pt
Water & other utilities42 + 1 pt
Administration & buildings35 + 13 pt
Sewer & trash19
Roads & transportation15 + 1 pt
Housing & development9 + 3 pt
Other16 + 2 pt
362
full-time
172
part-time
$3.4M
payroll for March 2022
$41.3M
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$107,400
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
77
sworn police officers
56
full-time firefighters
Compared, 2022.Alhambra had 4.3 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 79 of the 101 California cities of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 3.3: Alhambra had more than 63% of them. Same group and year as the budget comparison.

The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.

The school district

Alhambra Unified School District

Alhambra’s K–12 school district, shared with Monterey Park. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Alhambra →
$21,297
per pupil · CA $21,206
14,602
students
$228.1 million
long-term debt

Of the $21,297 per pupil, $11,275 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.

The district: schools, scores and graduation →

Where the district’s money comes from
Local 24%State 59%Federal 16%

California districts overall: 36% local, 52% state, 11% federal.

School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.

Elections · 2024 general election

Alhambra’s votes are counted by county

California reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Alhambra alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Los Angeles County’s results.

President · Los Angeles County’s results3,727,169 votes · results as certified
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat64.8%2,416,522 votes
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican31.9%1,189,227 votes

Others: 3.3% (121,420 votes).

Most votes in Los Angeles County: Kamala D Harris

California: Harris 58.5%, Trump 38.3%

The county’s page

100% of Alhambra lies in Los Angeles County. Every 2024 race in Los Angeles County is on the county’s page.

Los Angeles County’s 2024 results →
DemocratRepublicanLibertarianIndependent / other

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.

Who represents Alhambra

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Alhambra.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
  2. 2
    California AssemblyState representatives
  3. 3
    California SenateState senator
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of California

Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.

Next door

How Alhambra compares with the towns next door

Alhambra spent $1,039 per resident in 2022; the 5 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $1,302 to $2,398. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.

Spends the leastSpends the mostEstimate or no figures
TownDay-to-day, per resident (2022)Tax bill
San Gabriel$1,302$6,908
Monterey Park$1,425$5,957
South Pasadena$1,856$9,937
San Marino$2,078$10,000+
Los Angeles$2,398$6,050
Alhambra$1,039$5,717

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 Alhambra’s government

The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Alhambra’s government

How much does Alhambra spend per resident?

About $1,039 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,039 was less than 67% of 101 California cities of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Alhambra?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $5,717 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.67% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.70% across California. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cityofalhambra.org.

Who runs Alhambra’s government?

See cityofalhambra.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Alhambra yet.

How did Alhambra vote in 2024?

California counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Alhambra alone. Los Angeles County, where 100% of Alhambra lies, voted Harris 64.8%, Trump 31.9% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Alhambra?

362 full-time and 172 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $3.4M (about $41.3M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Alhambra in the state legislature?

State Senate District 25 (Sasha Pérez) and Assembly District 49 (Mike Fong). The Assembly district also covers eight other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Alhambra’s government

Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.

Town Square →
Ask neighbors

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 →