Los Cerritos Ranch House · Photo: Dan Cathcart, photographer · Public domainLong Beach spent more per resident in 2022 than 97% of similar cities
Long Beach’s city government spent $1.5 billion on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2024, about $3,319 per resident. Water and other utilities ($305.1 million) and the airport ($48.9 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Long Beach is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
Who’s in charge in Long Beach
From public records with a current term; a name is hidden the day its term ends.
Council members and agencies: longbeach.gov ↗
Long Beach’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on longbeach.gov ↗.
About $3,319 per resident a year, or $9.09 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 21%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$3,702 per resident in 2022: more than 97% of them
Long Beach’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($3,702 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 74 California cities of 250,000–499,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,400, and the middle half spent $1,118–$2,095. Long Beach spent more than 97% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($98.5 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 250,000–499,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Long Beach itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is down 11% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Long Beach 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: $3,702 · 2023: $2,999 · 2024: $3,319.
full-time in March 2025, up from 5,218 in 2022.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $5,151 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.64% 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 Long Beach’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 Long Beach’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Long Beach →
One full-time city employee for every 64 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (451,307).
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.
Long Beach Unified School District
Long Beach’s K–12 school district, shared with Avalon, Signal Hill, Lakewood. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $21,042 per pupil, $12,613 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.
Long Beach’s votes are counted by county
California reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Long Beach 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 Long Beach 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 Long Beach.
- 1Your cityMayorRex Richardsonas listed by Open States, October 9, 2026
- 2California AssemblyLong Beach 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 Long Beach compares with the towns next door
Long Beach spent $3,702 per resident in 2022; the 8 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $887 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Lakewood | $887 | $5,318 |
| Paramount | $1,102 | $3,681 |
| Carson | $1,234 | $4,361 |
| Hawaiian Gardens | $1,332 | $3,329 |
| Los Alamitos | $1,385 | $6,728 |
| Compton | $1,419 | $4,358 |
| Seal Beach | $1,784 | $3,154 |
| Los Angeles | $2,398 | $6,050 |
| Long Beach | $3,702 | $5,151 |
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 Long Beach’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Long Beach’s government
How much does Long Beach spend per resident?
About $3,319 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $3,702 was more than 97% of 74 California cities of 250,000–499,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Long Beach?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $5,151 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.64% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.70% across California. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see longbeach.gov.
Who is the mayor of Long Beach?
Rex Richardson, as listed by Open States (checked October 9, 2026). The council and agencies are listed on longbeach.gov.
How did Long Beach vote in 2024?
California counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Long Beach alone. Los Angeles County, where 100% of Long Beach lies, voted Harris 64.8%, Trump 31.9% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Long Beach?
7,034 full-time and 968 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $74.9M (about $898.6M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Long Beach in the state legislature?
Long Beach is split among 2 Assembly districts, so your address decides. The California Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Its State Senate district is District 33 (Lena Gonzalez). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Long Beach’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 →