Photo: Jordan W. · CC BY-SA 3.0How is Fontana run?
Fontana’s city government spent $342.2 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $1,611 per resident.
What stands out about how Fontana is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
Chaffey Joint Union High School District
Fontana’s high school district, shared with Chino, Montclair, Ontario, Rancho Cucamonga, Upland. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $18,582 per pupil, $11,328 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.
Fontana Unified School District · $20,036 per pupil
Etiwanda Elementary School District · $15,674 per pupil
Colton Joint Unified School District · $21,436 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
About $1,611 per resident a year, or $4.41 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 27%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,405 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
Fontana’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,405 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. Fontana spent more than 54% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($23.7 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; Fontana itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is up 13% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Fontana reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.
Day-to-day spending by fiscal year
Per resident: 2022: $1,405 · 2023: $1,334 · 2024: $1,611.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $4,801 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.82% 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 Fontana’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 Fontana’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Fontana →
Who’s in charge in Fontana
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Fontana’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on fontanaca.gov ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 381 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 2024 finance file (212,475).
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.
Fontana’s votes are counted by county
California reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Fontana alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are San Bernardino County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican49.6%376,825 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat47.6%361,256 votesOthers: 2.8% (21,114 votes).
Most votes in San Bernardino County: Donald J Trump
California: Harris 58.5%, Trump 38.3%
100% of Fontana lies in San Bernardino County. Every 2024 race in San Bernardino County is on the county’s page.
San Bernardino 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 Fontana.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: fontanaca.gov ↗
- 2California AssemblyFontana is split between 2 districts
- 3California SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseSplit between districts
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of California
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Fontana compares with the towns next door
Fontana spent $1,405 per resident in 2022; the 4 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $534 to $3,316. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Jurupa Valley | $534 | $3,334 |
| Rancho Cucamonga | $1,272 | $5,108 |
| Rialto | $1,599 | $3,374 |
| Ontario | $3,316 | $3,638 |
| Fontana | $1,405 | $4,801 |
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 Fontana’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Fontana’s government
How much does Fontana spend per resident?
About $1,611 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,405 was more than 54% of 59 California cities of 100,000–249,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Fontana?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $4,801 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.82% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.70% across California. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see fontanaca.gov.
Who runs Fontana’s government?
See fontanaca.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Fontana yet.
How did Fontana vote in 2024?
California counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Fontana alone. San Bernardino County, where 100% of Fontana lies, voted Trump 49.6%, Harris 47.6% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Fontana?
558 full-time and 450 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $6.5M (about $77.8M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Fontana in the state legislature?
Fontana is split among 2 Assembly districts and 2 State Senate districts, so your address decides. The California Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Fontana’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 →