Photo: Jss3255 · CC BY-SA 4.0How is Arcata run?
Arcata’s city government spent $27.4 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $1,516 per resident. Water and other utilities ($5.4 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Arcata is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
About $1,516 per resident a year, or $4.15 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 25%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,516 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
Arcata’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,516 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 101 California cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,377, and the middle half spent $885–$1,910. Arcata spent more than 57% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($5.5 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 →
California cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Arcata itself left out).
No trend yet
Arcata reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $2,896 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.60% of the home’s value, vs 0.70% across California.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Arcata’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 Arcata’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Arcata →
Who’s in charge in Arcata
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Arcata’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on cityofarcata.org ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 157 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 (18,044).
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.
Northern Humboldt Union High School District
Arcata’s high school district, shared with Blue Lake, Eureka, Trinidad. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $19,735 per pupil, $11,109 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.
Arcata Elementary School District · $19,262 per pupil
Jacoby Creek Elementary School District · $13,569 per pupil
Pacific Union Elementary School District · $15,558 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Arcata’s votes are counted by county
California reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Arcata alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Humboldt County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat62.0%39,764 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican33.5%21,520 votesOthers: 4.5% (2,863 votes).
Most votes in Humboldt County: Kamala D Harris
California: Harris 58.5%, Trump 38.3%
100% of Arcata lies in Humboldt County. Every 2024 race in Humboldt County is on the county’s page.
Humboldt 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 Arcata.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: cityofarcata.org ↗
- 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 Arcata compares with the towns next door
Arcata spent $1,516 per resident in 2022. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Arcata | $1,516 | $2,896 |
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 Arcata’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Arcata’s government
How much does Arcata spend per resident?
About $1,516 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 $1,516 was more than 57% of 101 California cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Arcata?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,896 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.60% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.70% across California. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cityofarcata.org.
Who runs Arcata’s government?
See cityofarcata.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Arcata yet.
How did Arcata vote in 2024?
California counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Arcata alone. Humboldt County, where 100% of Arcata lies, voted Harris 62.0%, Trump 33.5% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Arcata?
115 full-time and 46 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $782,865 (about $9.4M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Arcata in the state legislature?
State Senate District 2 (Mike McGuire) and Assembly District 2 (Chris Rogers). The Assembly district also covers 16 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Arcata’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 →