Photo: BrokenSphere · CC BY-SA 3.0Colma spent more per resident in 2022 than 87% of similar cities
Colma’s town government spent $21.2 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2023, about $13,465 per resident.
What stands out about how Colma is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$10,162 per resident in 2022: more than 87% of them
Colma’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($10,162 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 30 California cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,959, and the middle half spent $1,416–$3,291. Colma spent more than 87% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($873,000), 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 under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Colma itself left out).
About $13,465 per resident a year, or $36.89 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 46%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 24% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Colma 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: $10,162 · 2023: $13,465. Per resident it went from $10,162 to $13,465 (up 33%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 1,689 to 1,577.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $7,830 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.74% 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 Colma’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. In a town this small the estimate has a wide margin.
Tax bills are one input to Colma’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Colma →
Who’s in charge in Colma
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Colma’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on colma.ca.gov ↗.
One full-time town employee for every 37 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 (1,577).
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.
Jefferson Union High School District
Colma’s high school district, shared with Brisbane, Daly City, Pacifica, South San Francisco. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $23,810 per pupil, $11,840 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.
Jefferson Elementary School District · $19,347 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Colma’s votes are counted by county
California reports official results by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Colma alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are San Mateo County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat73.5%242,834 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican23.2%76,515 votesOthers: 3.3% (10,929 votes).
Most votes in San Mateo County: Kamala D Harris
California: Harris 58.5%, Trump 38.3%
100% of Colma lies in San Mateo County. Every 2024 race in San Mateo County is on the county’s page.
San Mateo 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 Colma.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: colma.ca.gov ↗
- 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 Colma compares with the towns next door
Colma spent $10,162 per resident in 2022; the 2 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $1,261 to $3,667. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Daly City | $1,261 | $6,442 |
| South San Francisco | $3,667 | $7,283 |
| Colma | $10,162 | $7,830 |
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 Colma’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Colma’s government
How much does Colma spend per resident?
About $13,465 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 $10,162 was more than 87% of 30 California cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Colma?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $7,830 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.74% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.70% across California. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see colma.ca.gov.
Who runs Colma’s government?
See colma.ca.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Colma yet.
How did Colma vote in 2024?
California counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Colma alone. San Mateo County, where 100% of Colma lies, voted Harris 73.5%, Trump 23.2% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Colma?
43 full-time and 17 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $481,740 (about $5.8M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Colma in the state legislature?
State Senate District 11 (Scott Wiener) and Assembly District 19 (Catherine Stefani). The Assembly district also covers four other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Colma’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 →