Photo: Don Ramey Logan · CC BY-SA 3.0How is Dana Point run?
Dana Point’s city government spent $42.4 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $1,269 per resident.
What stands out about how Dana Point is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
Capistrano Unified School District
Dana Point’s K–12 school district, shared with San Clemente, San Juan Capistrano, Laguna Niguel, Aliso Viejo, Mission Viejo and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $17,395 per pupil, $11,385 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.
About $1,269 per resident a year, or $3.48 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 21%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,269 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
Dana Point’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,269 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 $1,158, and the middle half spent $831–$1,742. Dana Point spent more than 52% of 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; Dana Point itself left out).
No trend yet
Dana Point reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $9,432 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.71% 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 Dana Point’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 Dana Point’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Dana Point →
Who’s in charge in Dana Point
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Dana Point’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on danapoint.org ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 539 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (33,436).
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.
Dana Point’s votes are counted by county
California reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Dana Point 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 Dana Point 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 Dana Point.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: danapoint.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 Dana Point compares with the towns next door
Dana Point spent $1,269 per resident in 2022; the 4 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $923 to $3,806. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Laguna Niguel | $923 | $7,206 |
| San Clemente | $1,470 | $8,160 |
| San Juan Capistrano | $1,707 | $6,603 |
| Laguna Beach | $3,806 | $10,000+ |
| Dana Point | $1,269 | $9,432 |
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 Dana Point’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Dana Point’s government
How much does Dana Point spend per resident?
About $1,269 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 $1,269 was more than 52% of 92 California cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Dana Point?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $9,432 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.71% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.70% across California. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see danapoint.org.
Who runs Dana Point’s government?
See danapoint.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Dana Point yet.
How did Dana Point vote in 2024?
California counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Dana Point alone. Orange County, where 100% of Dana Point lies, voted Harris 49.7%, Trump 47.1% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Dana Point?
62 full-time and 27 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $713,711 (about $8.6M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Dana Point in the state legislature?
State Senate District 36 (Tony Strickland) and Assembly District 74 (Laurie Davies). The Assembly district also covers five other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Dana Point’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 →