Photo: Esun · CC BY 2.5How is Arcadia run?
Arcadia’s city government spent $71.1 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $1,263 per resident. Water and other utilities ($14.8 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Arcadia is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
El Monte Union High School District
Arcadia’s high school district, shared with Baldwin Park, El Monte, Irwindale, Monrovia, Rosemead and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $23,420 per pupil, $12,556 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.
California districts overall: 36% local, 52% state, 11% federal.
Arcadia Unified School District · $17,761 per pupil
El Monte City School District · $26,989 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
About $1,263 per resident a year, or $3.46 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 29%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,263 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
Arcadia’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,263 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. Arcadia spent less than 50% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($632,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
California cities of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Arcadia itself left out).
No trend yet
Arcadia reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
Typical bills top $10,000 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Arcadia’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 Arcadia’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Arcadia →
Who’s in charge in Arcadia
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Arcadia’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on visitarcadiacalifornia.com ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 204 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 (56,323).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Arcadia’s votes are counted by county
California reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Arcadia alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Los Angeles County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat64.8%2,416,522 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican31.9%1,189,227 votesOthers: 3.3% (121,420 votes).
Most votes in Los Angeles County: Kamala D Harris
California: Harris 58.5%, Trump 38.3%
100% of Arcadia lies in Los Angeles County. Every 2024 race in Los Angeles County is on the county’s page.
Los Angeles 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 Arcadia.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: visitarcadiacalifornia.com ↗
- 2California AssemblyState representatives
- 3California SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of California
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Arcadia compares with the towns next door
Arcadia spent $1,263 per resident in 2022; the 5 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $537 to $28,191. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Temple City | $537 | $6,945 |
| El Monte | $947 | $4,681 |
| Monrovia | $1,825 | $6,178 |
| Sierra Madre | $1,930 | $8,344 |
| Irwindale | $28,191 | $2,781 |
| Arcadia | $1,263 | $10,000+ |
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 Arcadia’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Arcadia’s government
How much does Arcadia spend per resident?
About $1,263 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 $1,263 was less than 50% of 101 California cities of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools.
Who runs Arcadia’s government?
See visitarcadiacalifornia.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Arcadia yet.
How did Arcadia vote in 2024?
California counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Arcadia alone. Los Angeles County, where 100% of Arcadia lies, voted Harris 64.8%, Trump 31.9% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Arcadia?
276 full-time and 70 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $2.8M (about $33.4M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Arcadia 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 Arcadia’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 →