Photo: Jengod · CC BY-SA 4.0How is Gardena run?
Gardena’s city government spent $67.3 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $1,150 per resident. Water and other utilities ($21.1 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Gardena is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
About $1,150 per resident a year, or $3.15 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 47%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,150 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
Gardena’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,150 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 101 California cities of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,270, and the middle half spent $889–$1,772. Gardena spent less than 58% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($1.3 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 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Gardena itself left out).
No trend yet
Gardena reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
full-time in March 2025, up from 310 in 2022.
The typical homeowner pays $4,431 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.63% 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 Gardena’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 Gardena’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Gardena →
Who’s in charge in Gardena
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Gardena’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on cityofgardena.org ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 158 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 (58,498).
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.
Los Angeles Unified School District
Gardena’s K–12 school district, shared with Huntington Park, Maywood, San Fernando, Vernon, West Hollywood and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $25,643 per pupil, $13,717 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.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Gardena’s votes are counted by county
California reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Gardena alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Los Angeles County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat64.8%2,416,522 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican31.9%1,189,227 votesOthers: 3.3% (121,420 votes).
Most votes in Los Angeles County: Kamala D Harris
California: Harris 58.5%, Trump 38.3%
100% of Gardena lies in Los Angeles County. Every 2024 race in Los Angeles County is on the county’s page.
Los Angeles 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 Gardena.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: cityofgardena.org ↗
- 2California AssemblyGardena 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 Gardena compares with the towns next door
Gardena spent $1,150 per resident in 2022; the 2 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $1,790 to $2,398. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Torrance | $1,790 | $6,782 |
| Los Angeles | $2,398 | $6,050 |
| Gardena | $1,150 | $4,431 |
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 Gardena’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Gardena’s government
How much does Gardena spend per resident?
About $1,150 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 $1,150 was less than 58% of 101 California cities of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Gardena?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $4,431 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.63% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.70% across California. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cityofgardena.org.
Who runs Gardena’s government?
See cityofgardena.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Gardena yet.
How did Gardena vote in 2024?
California counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Gardena alone. Los Angeles County, where 100% of Gardena lies, voted Harris 64.8%, Trump 31.9% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Gardena?
371 full-time and 92 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $3.7M (about $44.8M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Gardena in the state legislature?
Gardena 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 Gardena’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 →