Photo: pedrik · CC BY 2.0Berkeley spent more per resident in 2022 than 100% of similar cities
Berkeley’s city government spent $507.7 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $4,268 per resident.
What stands out about how Berkeley is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$3,715 per resident in 2022: more than 100% of them
Berkeley’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($3,715 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 59 California cities of 100,000–249,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,350, and the middle half spent $1,086–$1,943. Berkeley spent more than 100% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($61.3 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 100,000–249,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Berkeley itself left out).
About $4,268 per resident a year, or $11.69 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 17%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 11% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Berkeley 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: $3,715 · 2024: $4,268.
full-time in March 2025, up from 1,599 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.
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 Berkeley’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 Berkeley’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Berkeley →
Who’s in charge in Berkeley
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time city employee for every 67 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (118,950).
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.
Berkeley Unified School District
Berkeley’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $24,977 per pupil, $14,672 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.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Berkeley’s votes are counted by county
California reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Berkeley alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Alameda County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat74.6%499,377 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican21.0%140,651 votesOthers: 4.4% (29,453 votes).
Most votes in Alameda County: Kamala D Harris
California: Harris 58.5%, Trump 38.3%
100% of Berkeley lies in Alameda County. Every 2024 race in Alameda County is on the county’s page.
Alameda 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 Berkeley.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 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 Berkeley compares with the towns next door
Berkeley spent $3,715 per resident in 2022; the 4 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $1,875 to $12,391. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Albany | $1,875 | $10,000+ |
| Oakland | $3,100 | $8,575 |
| Emeryville | $6,006 | $6,209 |
| San Francisco | $12,391 | $9,862 |
| Berkeley | $3,715 | $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 Berkeley’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Berkeley’s government
How much does Berkeley spend per resident?
About $4,268 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 $3,715 was more than 100% of 59 California cities of 100,000–249,999 that don’t run their own schools.
Who runs Berkeley’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Berkeley yet.
How did Berkeley vote in 2024?
California counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Berkeley alone. Alameda County, where 100% of Berkeley lies, voted Harris 74.6%, Trump 21.0% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Berkeley?
1,775 full-time and 257 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $21.5M (about $258.1M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Berkeley in the state legislature?
State Senate District 7 (Jesse Arreguín) and Assembly District 14 (Buffy Wicks). The Assembly district also covers eight other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Berkeley’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 →