Photo: formulanone · CC BY-SA 2.0Los Banos spent less per resident in 2022 than 66% of similar cities
Los Banos’ city government spent $38.1 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $938 per resident. Water and other utilities ($4.3 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Los Banos is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$938 per resident in 2022: less than 66% of them
Los Banos’ day-to-day spending in 2022 ($938 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 92 California cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,164, and the middle half spent $831–$1,742. Los Banos spent less than 66% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($9.8 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 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Los Banos itself left out).
About $938 per resident a year, or $2.57 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 32%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Los Banos reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
full-time in March 2025, up from 174 in 2022. Both are Census estimates.
The typical homeowner pays $2,918 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.66% 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 Los Banos’ 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 Los Banos’ Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Los Banos →
Who’s in charge in Los Banos
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Los Banos’ meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on losbanos.org ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 232 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 (40,571).
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 Banos Unified School District
Los Banos’ K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $17,734 per pupil, $11,060 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.
Los Banos’ votes are counted by county
California reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Los Banos alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Merced County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican50.6%43,003 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat46.8%39,769 votesOthers: 2.6% (2,222 votes).
Most votes in Merced County: Donald J Trump
California: Harris 58.5%, Trump 38.3%
100% of Los Banos lies in Merced County. Every 2024 race in Merced County is on the county’s page.
Merced 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 Los Banos.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: losbanos.org ↗
- 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.
Reach Los Banos’ government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Los Banos’ government
How much does Los Banos spend per resident?
About $938 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 $938 was less than 66% of 92 California cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Los Banos?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,918 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.66% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.70% across California. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see losbanos.org.
Who runs Los Banos’ government?
See losbanos.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Los Banos yet.
How did Los Banos vote in 2024?
California counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Los Banos alone. Merced County, where 100% of Los Banos lies, voted Trump 50.6%, Harris 46.8% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Los Banos?
175 full-time and 21 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $1.2M (about $15.0M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Los Banos in the state legislature?
State Senate District 14 (Anna Caballero) and Assembly District 27 (Esmeralda Soria). The Assembly district also covers 13 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Los Banos’ 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 →