Photo: pelle68 · CC BY-SA 3.0How is Costa Mesa run?
Costa Mesa’s city government spent $161.8 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $1,440 per resident.
What stands out about how Costa Mesa is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
Huntington Beach Union High School District
Costa Mesa’s high school district, shared with Fountain Valley, Huntington Beach, Seal Beach, Westminster, Garden Grove. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $18,463 per pupil, $10,924 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.
Newport-Mesa Unified School District · $25,216 per pupil
Santa Ana Unified School District · $24,720 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
About $1,440 per resident a year, or $3.95 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 34%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,440 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
Costa Mesa’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,440 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–$2,038. Costa Mesa spent more than 58% of 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; Costa Mesa itself left out).
No trend yet
Costa Mesa reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
full-time in March 2025, up from 487 in 2022.
The typical homeowner pays $6,839 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.61% 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 Costa Mesa’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 Costa Mesa’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Costa Mesa →
Who’s in charge in Costa Mesa
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Costa Mesa’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on costamesaca.gov ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 199 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (112,366).
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.
Costa Mesa’s votes are counted by county
California reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Costa Mesa alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Orange County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat49.7%691,577 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican47.1%654,494 votesOthers: 3.2% (44,403 votes).
Most votes in Orange County: Kamala D Harris
California: Harris 58.5%, Trump 38.3%
100% of Costa Mesa lies in Orange County. Every 2024 race in Orange County is on the county’s page.
Orange 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 Costa Mesa.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: costamesaca.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 Costa Mesa compares with the towns next door
Costa Mesa spent $1,440 per resident in 2022; the 4 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $1,216 to $2,867. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Irvine | $1,216 | $9,543 |
| Huntington Beach | $1,488 | $6,234 |
| Santa Ana | $2,149 | $3,997 |
| Newport Beach | $2,867 | $10,000+ |
| Costa Mesa | $1,440 | $6,839 |
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 Costa Mesa’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Costa Mesa’s government
How much does Costa Mesa spend per resident?
About $1,440 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 $1,440 was more than 58% of 59 California cities of 100,000–249,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Costa Mesa?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $6,839 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.61% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.70% across California. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see costamesaca.gov.
Who runs Costa Mesa’s government?
See costamesaca.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Costa Mesa yet.
How did Costa Mesa vote in 2024?
California counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Costa Mesa alone. Orange County, where 100% of Costa Mesa lies, voted Harris 49.7%, Trump 47.1% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Costa Mesa?
564 full-time and 223 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $7.6M (about $91.0M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Costa Mesa in the state legislature?
State Senate District 37 (Steve Choi) and Assembly District 73 (Cottie Petrie-Norris). The Assembly district also covers two neighboring towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Costa Mesa’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 →