Photo: formulanone · CC BY-SA 2.0Madera spent less per resident in 2022 than 84% of similar cities
Madera’s city government spent $51.6 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $774 per resident. Water and other utilities ($8.8 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Madera is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$774 per resident in 2022: less than 84% of them
Madera’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($774 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 $923–$1,772. Madera spent less than 84% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($12.1 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; Madera itself left out).
About $774 per resident a year, or $2.12 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 29%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Madera reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
full-time in March 2025, up from 220 in 2022. Both are Census estimates.
The typical homeowner pays $2,295 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 Madera’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 Madera’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Madera →
Who’s in charge in Madera
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Madera’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on madera.gov ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 284 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 2022 finance file (66,723).
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.
Madera Unified School District
Madera’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $19,767 per pupil, $11,165 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.
Madera’s votes are counted by county
California reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Madera alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Madera County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican59.2%32,294 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat38.4%20,946 votesOthers: 2.4% (1,296 votes).
Most votes in Madera County: Donald J Trump
California: Harris 58.5%, Trump 38.3%
100% of Madera lies in Madera County. Every 2024 race in Madera County is on the county’s page.
Madera 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 Madera.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: madera.gov ↗
- 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 Madera compares with the towns next door
Madera spent $774 per resident in 2022. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Madera | $774 | $2,295 |
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 Madera’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Madera’s government
How much does Madera spend per resident?
About $774 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 $774 was less than 84% of 101 California cities of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Madera?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,295 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 madera.gov.
Who runs Madera’s government?
See madera.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Madera yet.
How did Madera vote in 2024?
California counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Madera alone. Madera County, where 100% of Madera lies, voted Trump 59.2%, Harris 38.4% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Madera?
235 full-time and 42 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $1.9M (about $22.3M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Madera 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 Madera’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 →