Photo: Namiwoo · CC BY-SA 3.0El Cajon spent less per resident in 2022 than 70% of similar cities
El Cajon’s city government spent $116.6 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $1,139 per resident.
What stands out about how El Cajon is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
Who’s in charge in El Cajon
From public records with a current term; a name is hidden the day its term ends.
Council members and agencies: ci.el-cajon.ca.us ↗
El Cajon’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on ci.el-cajon.ca.us ↗.
About $1,139 per resident a year, or $3.12 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 30%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,139 per resident in 2022: less than 70% of them
El Cajon’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,139 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 $1,354, and the middle half spent $1,086–$2,038. El Cajon spent less than 70% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($19.4 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 100,000–249,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; El Cajon itself left out).
No trend yet
El Cajon reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
full-time in March 2025, up from 362 in 2022.
The typical homeowner pays $4,533 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.66% 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 El Cajon’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 El Cajon’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in El Cajon →
One full-time city employee for every 271 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 (102,401).
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.
Grossmont Union High School District
El Cajon’s high school district, shared with La Mesa, Lemon Grove, Santee. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $20,908 per pupil, $12,015 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.
Cajon Valley Union Elementary School District · $19,663 per pupil
La Mesa-Spring Valley School District · $18,879 per pupil
Santee School District · $16,142 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
El Cajon’s votes are counted by county
California reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for El Cajon 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 El Cajon 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 El Cajon.
- 1Your cityMayorBill Wellsas listed by Open States, October 9, 2026
- 2California AssemblyEl Cajon is split between 2 districts
- 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 El Cajon compares with the towns next door
El Cajon spent $1,139 per resident in 2022; the 3 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $947 to $2,795. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
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 El Cajon’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about El Cajon’s government
How much does El Cajon spend per resident?
About $1,139 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 $1,139 was less than 70% of 59 California cities of 100,000–249,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in El Cajon?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $4,533 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.66% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.70% across California. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see ci.el-cajon.ca.us.
Who is the mayor of El Cajon?
Bill Wells, as listed by Open States (checked October 9, 2026). The council and agencies are listed on ci.el-cajon.ca.us.
How did El Cajon vote in 2024?
California counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for El Cajon alone. San Diego County, where 100% of El Cajon lies, voted Harris 56.9%, Trump 40.1% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for El Cajon?
378 full-time and 76 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $4.9M (about $58.6M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents El Cajon in the state legislature?
El Cajon is split among 2 Assembly districts, so your address decides. The California Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Its State Senate district is District 39 (Akilah Weber Pierson). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about El Cajon’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 →