Photo: No machine-readable author provided. Intersofia assumed (based on copyright claims). · CC BY-SA 3.0Del Mar spent more per resident in 2022 than 91% of similar cities
Del Mar’s city government spent $18.2 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $4,225 per resident. Water and other utilities ($4.3 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Del Mar is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$4,225 per resident in 2022: more than 91% of them
Del Mar’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($4,225 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 76 California cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,472, and the middle half spent $1,070–$2,428. Del Mar spent more than 91% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($2.5 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 →
California cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Del Mar itself left out).
About $4,225 per resident a year, or $11.58 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 32%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Del Mar reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $9,929 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.50% 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 Del Mar’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 Del Mar’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Del Mar →
Who’s in charge in Del Mar
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Del Mar’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on delmar.ca.us ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 80 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 (4,304).
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.
San Dieguito Union High School District
Del Mar’s middle and high school district, shared with Carlsbad, Encinitas, Solana Beach, San Marcos, San Diego. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $15,720 per pupil, $9,023 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.
Del Mar Union Elementary School District · $23,146 per pupil
Solana Beach Elementary School District · $23,796 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Del Mar’s votes are counted by county
California reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Del Mar alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are San Diego County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat56.9%841,038 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican40.1%592,873 votesOthers: 2.9% (43,126 votes).
Most votes in San Diego County: Kamala D Harris
California: Harris 58.5%, Trump 38.3%
100% of Del Mar lies in San Diego County. Every 2024 race in San Diego County is on the county’s page.
San Diego 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 Del Mar.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: delmar.ca.us ↗
- 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 Del Mar compares with the towns next door
Del Mar spent $4,225 per resident in 2022; the 2 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $2,043 to $2,795. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Solana Beach | $2,043 | $10,000+ |
| San Diego | $2,795 | $5,945 |
| Del Mar | $4,225 | $9,929 |
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 Del Mar’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Del Mar’s government
How much does Del Mar spend per resident?
About $4,225 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 $4,225 was more than 91% of 76 California cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Del Mar?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $9,929 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.50% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.70% across California. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see delmar.ca.us.
Who runs Del Mar’s government?
See delmar.ca.us for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Del Mar yet.
How did Del Mar vote in 2024?
California counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Del Mar alone. San Diego County, where 100% of Del Mar lies, voted Harris 56.9%, Trump 40.1% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Del Mar?
54 full-time and 39 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $504,611 (about $6.1M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Del Mar in the state legislature?
State Senate District 38 (Catherine Blakespear) and Assembly District 77 (Tasha Boerner). The Assembly district also covers five other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Del Mar’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 →