Photo: Ardenmachro · CC BY-SA 4.0How is East Palo Alto run?
East Palo Alto’s city government spent $31.2 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $1,073 per resident. Water and other utilities ($1.3 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how East Palo Alto is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
Sequoia Union High School District
East Palo Alto’s high school district, shared with Atherton, Menlo Park, Portola Valley, Redwood City, San Carlos and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $27,344 per pupil, $15,214 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.
Ravenswood City Elementary School District · $39,727 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
About $1,073 per resident a year, or $2.94 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 38%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,073 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
East Palo Alto’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,073 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 $831–$1,742. East Palo Alto spent less than 55% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($2.8 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; East Palo Alto itself left out).
No trend yet
East Palo Alto reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $7,700 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.70% 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 East Palo Alto’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 East Palo Alto’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in East Palo Alto →
Who’s in charge in East Palo Alto
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
East Palo Alto’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on cityofepa.org ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 309 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 (29,059).
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.
East Palo Alto’s votes are counted by county
California reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for East Palo Alto 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 East Palo Alto 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 East Palo Alto.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: cityofepa.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 East Palo Alto compares with the towns next door
East Palo Alto spent $1,073 per resident in 2022; the 2 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $2,049 to $3,898. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Menlo Park | $2,049 | $10,000+ |
| Palo Alto | $3,898 | $10,000+ |
| East Palo Alto | $1,073 | $7,700 |
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 East Palo Alto’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about East Palo Alto’s government
How much does East Palo Alto spend per resident?
About $1,073 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 $1,073 was less than 55% of 92 California cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in East Palo Alto?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $7,700 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.70% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.70% across California. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cityofepa.org.
Who runs East Palo Alto’s government?
See cityofepa.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for East Palo Alto yet.
How did East Palo Alto vote in 2024?
California counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for East Palo Alto alone. San Mateo County, where 100% of East Palo Alto lies, voted Harris 73.5%, Trump 23.2% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for East Palo Alto?
94 full-time and 18 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $1.0M (about $12.1M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents East Palo Alto in the state legislature?
State Senate District 13 (Josh Becker) and Assembly District 21 (Diane Papan). The Assembly district also covers 13 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about East Palo Alto’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 →