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Glendale, California skylinePhoto: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0
Town Hall · Glendale

Glendale spent more per resident in 2022 than 86% of similar cities

Glendale’s city government spent $540.3 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $2,855 per resident. Water and other utilities ($211.6 million) are counted separately.

Town website
Election Day

Tomorrow

General election in California.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2024
$540.3M
year to June 30, 2024
Per resident, 2024
$2,855
In 2022: $2,362, more than 86% of 59 similar cities
Long-term debt
$394.6M
end of FY2024, reported
City staff, 2025
1,709
full-time · 452 part-time · March payroll $18.7M · Census estimate
Typical tax bill
$6,679
0.61% of home value · CA 0.70%

What stands out about how Glendale is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

Compared with similar places

$2,362 per resident in 2022: more than 86% of them

Glendale’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($2,362 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–$1,943. Glendale spent more than 86% of them.

Middle half of the group, $1,086–$1,943Median $1,350Glendale

Includes sewer and trash ($35.3 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 →

The group
59

California cities of 100,000–249,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Glendale itself left out).

Your share of the 2024 budget

About $2,855 per resident a year, or $7.82 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 21%.

Where the money comes from
Utility sales 39%Sales taxes 15%Fees & charges 14%Property taxes 9%From the federal government 7%Interest, fines & other 7%Other taxes & licenses 5%From the state 3%From other local governments <1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $73.7 million; interest on debt $8.9 million. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $845.5 million.
About “Other”.27% of Glendale’s day-to-day spending ($147.4 million) is filed by the Census Bureau outside the named functions above, so the receipt can’t say what it buys.
Over the years

Day-to-day spending is up 16% since 2022

Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Glendale reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.

Day-to-day spending by fiscal year

2022$467.1 million
2023$499.8 million
2024$540.3 million

Per resident: 2022: $2,362 · 2023: $2,598 · 2024: $2,855. Per resident it went from $2,362 to $2,855 (up 21%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 197,747 to 189,221.

City staff
1,709

full-time in March 2025, up from 1,591 in 2022. Both are Census estimates.

Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $6,679 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.61% of the home’s value, vs 0.70% across California.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

La Cañada Flintridge$10,000+
La Crescenta-Montrose$7,845
Pasadena$6,843
Glendale$6,679
Burbank$6,106
Los Angeles$6,050
California$5,124
$6,679
typical bill a year
0.61%
effective rate
$1,102,300
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Glendale’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 Glendale’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Glendale →

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Glendale

Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.

See glendaleca.gov for Glendale’s current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Glendale yet.glendaleca.gov ↗
Agendas

Glendale’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on glendaleca.gov ↗.

Who works for Glendale

One full-time city employee for every 111 residents

On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (189,221).

By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025

Police352 + 31 pt
Water & other utilities355 + 16 pt
Parks & libraries150 + 200 pt
Fire201
Administration & buildings180 + 38 pt
Roads & transportation143 + 6 pt
Sewer & trash89 + 2 pt
Housing & development56 + 14 pt
Health & welfare0 + 65 pt
Courts, inspections & corrections19 + 2 pt
Other164 + 78 pt
1,709
full-time
452
part-time
$18.7M
payroll for March 2025
$224.3M
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$124,300
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
248
sworn police officers
182
full-time firefighters
Estimates.Glendale didn’t report its staff figures; these are the Census Bureau’s estimates, so they aren’t compared with other towns.

The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.

The school district

Glendale Unified School District

Glendale’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Glendale →
$16,351
per pupil · CA $21,206
25,049
students
$431.4 million
long-term debt

Of the $16,351 per pupil, $10,841 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.

The district: schools, scores and graduation →

Where the district’s money comes from
Local 33%State 58%Federal 9%

California districts overall: 36% local, 52% state, 11% federal.

School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.

Elections · 2024 general election

Glendale’s votes are counted by county

California reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Glendale alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Los Angeles County’s results.

President · Los Angeles County’s results3,727,169 votes · results as certified
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat64.8%2,416,522 votes
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican31.9%1,189,227 votes

Others: 3.3% (121,420 votes).

Most votes in Los Angeles County: Kamala D Harris

California: Harris 58.5%, Trump 38.3%

The county’s page

100% of Glendale lies in Los Angeles County. Every 2024 race in Los Angeles County is on the county’s page.

Los Angeles County’s 2024 results →
DemocratRepublicanLibertarianIndependent / other

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.

Who represents Glendale

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Glendale.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
  2. 2
    California AssemblyGlendale is split between 2 districts
  3. 3
    California SenateState senator
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of California

Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.

Next door

How Glendale compares with the towns next door

Glendale spent $2,362 per resident in 2022; the 4 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $906 to $3,152. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.

Spends the leastSpends the mostEstimate or no figures
TownDay-to-day, per resident (2022)Tax bill
La Cañada Flintridge$906$10,000+
Los Angeles$2,398$6,050
Burbank$2,429$6,106
Pasadena$3,152$6,843
Glendale$2,362$6,679

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 Glendale’s government

The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Glendale’s government

How much does Glendale spend per resident?

About $2,855 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 $2,362 was more than 86% of 59 California cities of 100,000–249,999 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Glendale?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $6,679 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.61% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.70% across California. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see glendaleca.gov.

Who runs Glendale’s government?

See glendaleca.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Glendale yet.

How did Glendale vote in 2024?

California counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Glendale alone. Los Angeles County, where 100% of Glendale lies, voted Harris 64.8%, Trump 31.9% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Glendale?

1,709 full-time and 452 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $18.7M (about $224.3M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.

Who represents Glendale in the state legislature?

Glendale is split among 2 Assembly districts, so your address decides. The California Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Its State Senate district is District 25 (Sasha Pérez). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Glendale’s government

Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.

Town Square →
Ask neighbors

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 →