Photo: Visitor7 · CC BY-SA 3.0Coachella spent less per resident in 2022 than 77% of similar cities
Coachella’s city government spent $38.2 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $821 per resident. Water and other utilities ($5.2 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Coachella is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$821 per resident in 2022: less than 77% of them
Coachella’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($821 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 $840–$1,742. Coachella spent less than 77% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($2.3 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 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Coachella itself left out).
About $821 per resident a year, or $2.25 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 26%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Coachella reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $3,897 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.06% 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 Coachella’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 Coachella’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Coachella →
Who’s in charge in Coachella
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Coachella’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on coachella.org ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 706 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 (46,564).
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.
Coachella Valley Unified School District
Coachella’s K–12 school district, shared with La Quinta. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $24,120 per pupil, $15,009 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.
Desert Sands Unified School District · $19,599 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Coachella’s votes are counted by county
California reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Coachella alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Riverside County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican49.3%462,957 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat48.1%451,443 votesOthers: 2.7% (24,923 votes).
Most votes in Riverside County: Donald J Trump
California: Harris 58.5%, Trump 38.3%
100% of Coachella lies in Riverside County. Every 2024 race in Riverside County is on the county’s page.
Riverside 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 Coachella.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: coachella.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 Coachella compares with the towns next door
Coachella spent $821 per resident in 2022; the neighbor that reported 2022 spent $1,162. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Indio | $1,162 | $4,559 |
| Coachella | $821 | $3,897 |
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 Coachella’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Coachella’s government
How much does Coachella spend per resident?
About $821 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 $821 was less than 77% of 92 California cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Coachella?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,897 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.06% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.70% across California. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see coachella.org.
Who runs Coachella’s government?
See coachella.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Coachella yet.
How did Coachella vote in 2024?
California counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Coachella alone. Riverside County, where 100% of Coachella lies, voted Trump 49.3%, Harris 48.1% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Coachella?
66 full-time and 15 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $543,798 (about $6.5M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Coachella in the state legislature?
State Senate District 18 (Steve Padilla) and Assembly District 36 (Jeff Gonzalez). The Assembly district also covers 11 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Coachella’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 →