How is Garden Grove run?
Garden Grove’s city government spent $224 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $1,307 per resident. Water and other utilities ($30.4 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Garden Grove is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
Who’s in charge in Garden Grove
From public records with a current term; a name is hidden the day its term ends.
Council members and agencies: ggcity.org ↗
Garden Grove’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on ggcity.org ↗.
About $1,307 per resident a year, or $3.58 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 31%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,307 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
Garden Grove’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,307 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. Garden Grove spent less than 52% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($15.8 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 100,000–249,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Garden Grove itself left out).
No trend yet
Garden Grove reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $5,087 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.62% 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 Garden Grove’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 Garden Grove’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Garden Grove →
One full-time city employee for every 336 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 (171,366).
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.
Huntington Beach Union High School District
Garden Grove’s high school district, shared with Costa Mesa, Fountain Valley, Huntington Beach, Seal Beach, Westminster. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $18,463 per pupil, $10,924 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.
Garden Grove Unified School District · $21,521 per pupil
Anaheim Union High School District · $20,079 per pupil
Westminster School District · $20,581 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Garden Grove’s votes are counted by county
California reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Garden Grove 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 Garden Grove 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 Garden Grove.
- 1Your cityMayorStephanie Klopfensteinas listed by Open States, October 9, 2026
- 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 Garden Grove compares with the towns next door
Garden Grove spent $1,307 per resident in 2022; the 8 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $798 to $2,149. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Stanton | $798 | $3,930 |
| Westminster | $830 | $5,217 |
| Orange | $1,085 | $6,215 |
| Fountain Valley | $1,260 | $5,975 |
| Los Alamitos | $1,385 | $6,728 |
| Seal Beach | $1,784 | $3,154 |
| Anaheim | $1,965 | $5,363 |
| Santa Ana | $2,149 | $3,997 |
| Garden Grove | $1,307 | $5,087 |
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 Garden Grove’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Garden Grove’s government
How much does Garden Grove spend per resident?
About $1,307 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 $1,307 was less than 52% of 59 California cities of 100,000–249,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Garden Grove?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $5,087 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.62% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.70% across California. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see ggcity.org.
Who is the mayor of Garden Grove?
Stephanie Klopfenstein, as listed by Open States (checked October 9, 2026). The council and agencies are listed on ggcity.org.
How did Garden Grove vote in 2024?
California counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Garden Grove alone. Orange County, where 100% of Garden Grove lies, voted Harris 49.7%, Trump 47.1% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Garden Grove?
510 full-time and 106 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $5.2M (about $62.7M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Garden Grove in the state legislature?
Garden Grove is split among 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 Garden Grove’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 →