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Ceres City HallPhoto: Ryanx7 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Town Hall · Ceres

Ceres spent less per resident in 2022 than 75% of similar cities

Ceres’ city government spent $45.5 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2023, about $923 per resident. Water and other utilities ($38.8 million) are counted separately.

Town website
Next public meeting

Planning Commission

6:00 pm

All meetings →
Day-to-day spending, 2023
$45.5M
year to June 30, 2023
Per resident, 2023
$923
In 2022: $833, less than 75% of 92 similar cities
Long-term debt
$28.0M
end of FY2023, reported
City staff, 2022
156
full-time · 17 part-time · March payroll $1.2M
Typical tax bill
$2,665
0.63% of home value · CA 0.70%

What stands out about how Ceres is run

Read from the city’s budget, meetings and official records.

Agendas posted online6 upcoming meetings posted, with agendas.Spends less than most similar citiesIn 2022: $833 per resident, less than 75% of 92 similar cities.Runs its own water & sewer57% of day-to-day spending goes to water, sewer and trash (2023).Its own police and fire47 sworn officers and 1 full-time firefighters on the payroll.
★ What stands out · Meetings

6 upcoming meetings at town hall

From Ceres’ own agenda portal, checked daily. Agendas can change up to the meeting, so check before you go.

Recent meetings

Go in person

Most meetings are open to the public, and many have a public comment period at the start.

Agenda portal ↗
Your share of the 2023 budget

About $923 per resident a year, or $2.53 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 36%.

Where the money comes from
Fees & charges 21%Utility sales 19%Interest, fines & other 19%Sales taxes 15%Property taxes 10%From the federal government 8%From the state 4%Other taxes & licenses 3%From other local governments <1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $6.3 million; interest on debt $1.2 million. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $91.7 million.
Compared with similar places

$833 per resident in 2022: less than 75% of them

Ceres’ day-to-day spending in 2022 ($833 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 92 California cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,164, and the middle half spent $838–$1,742. Ceres spent less than 75% of them.

Middle half of the group, $838–$1,742Median $1,164Ceres

Includes sewer and trash ($7.5 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 →

The group
92

California cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Ceres itself left out).

Over the years

Day-to-day spending is up 12% since 2022

Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Ceres reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.

Day-to-day spending by fiscal year

2022$40.5 million
2023$45.5 million

Per resident: 2022: $833 · 2023: $923.

Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $2,665 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.63% of the home’s value, vs 0.70% across California.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

California$5,124
Ceres$2,665
Bystrom$1,783
$2,665
typical bill a year
0.63%
effective rate
$424,800
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Ceres

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

See ci.ceres.ca.us for Ceres’ current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Ceres yet.ci.ceres.ca.us ↗
Who works for Ceres

One full-time city employee for every 316 residents

On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2023 finance file (49,282).

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

Police65 + 8 pt
Administration & buildings30 + 2 pt
Parks & libraries12 + 7 pt
Roads & transportation14
Water & other utilities14
Sewer & trash7
Fire1
Housing & development1
Other12
156
full-time
17
part-time
$1.2M
payroll for March 2022
$13.9M
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$87,400
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
47
sworn police officers
1
full-time firefighters
Compared, 2022.Ceres had 3.2 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 68 of the 92 California cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 3.4: Ceres had fewer than 56% 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

Ceres Unified School District

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

Schools in Ceres →
$19,511
per pupil · CA $21,206
13,868
students
$101.1 million
long-term debt

Of the $19,511 per pupil, $11,423 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 15%State 76%Federal 10%

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

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Ceres’ votes are counted by county

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

President · Stanislaus County’s results197,291 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican54.2%106,849 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat43.2%85,306 votes

Others: 2.6% (5,136 votes).

Most votes in Stanislaus County: Donald J Trump

California: Harris 58.5%, Trump 38.3%

The county’s page

100% of Ceres lies in Stanislaus County. Every 2024 race in Stanislaus County is on the county’s page.

Stanislaus 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 Ceres

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Ceres.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Officials: ci.ceres.ca.us ↗
  2. 2
    California AssemblyState representatives
    Juan Alanis
  3. 3
    California SenateState senator
    Marie Alvarado-Gil
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
    Gavin Newsom
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
    Adam Gray
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of California
    Alex PadillaAdam B. Schiff

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

Next door

How Ceres compares with the towns next door

Ceres spent $833 per resident in 2022. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.

Bystrom: unincorporated, no town budgetBystromCeres
Spends the leastSpends the mostEstimate or no figures
TownDay-to-day, per resident (2022)Tax bill
Ceres$833$2,665

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 Ceres’ government

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

The Handbook →
Official websiteci.ceres.ca.us ↗

Questions about Ceres’ government

How much does Ceres spend per resident?

About $923 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2023, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $833 was less than 75% of 92 California cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Ceres?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,665 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.63% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.70% across California. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see ci.ceres.ca.us.

Who runs Ceres’ government?

See ci.ceres.ca.us for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Ceres yet.

How did Ceres vote in 2024?

California counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Ceres alone. Stanislaus County, where 100% of Ceres lies, voted Trump 54.2%, Harris 43.2% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Ceres?

156 full-time and 17 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $1.2M (about $13.9M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Ceres in the state legislature?

State Senate District 4 (Marie Alvarado-Gil) and Assembly District 22 (Juan Alanis). The Assembly district also covers five other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

When is the next public meeting in Ceres?

The next posted meeting is Planning Commission on Monday, November 2, at 6:00 pm, from the city’s own agenda portal.

Ask neighbors about Ceres’ 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 →