Photo: SWENOWENSON · CC BY-SA 4.0Mill Valley spent more per resident in 2022 than 90% of similar cities
Mill Valley’s city government spent $50.5 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2023, about $3,577 per resident.
What stands out about how Mill Valley is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$2,991 per resident in 2022: more than 90% of them
Mill Valley’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($2,991 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 101 California cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,377, and the middle half spent $885–$1,875. Mill Valley spent more than 90% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($5.9 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 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Mill Valley itself left out).
About $3,577 per resident a year, or $9.80 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: parks & libraries, at 21%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 18% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Mill Valley 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: $2,991 · 2023: $3,577.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
Typical bills top $10,000 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Mill Valley’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 Mill Valley’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Mill Valley →
Who’s in charge in Mill Valley
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Mill Valley’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on cityofmillvalley.org ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 99 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2023 finance file (14,105).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Tamalpais Union High School District
Mill Valley’s high school district, shared with Belvedere, Corte Madera, Fairfax, Sausalito, Tiburon and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $23,705 per pupil, $13,833 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.
Mill Valley Elementary School District · $24,180 per pupil
Larkspur Elementary School District · $21,658 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Mill Valley’s votes are counted by county
California reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Mill Valley alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Marin County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat80.6%116,083 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican16.7%24,019 votesOthers: 2.7% (3,904 votes).
Most votes in Marin County: Kamala D Harris
California: Harris 58.5%, Trump 38.3%
100% of Mill Valley lies in Marin County. Every 2024 race in Marin County is on the county’s page.
Marin 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 Mill Valley.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: cityofmillvalley.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.
How Mill Valley compares with the towns next door
Mill Valley spent $2,991 per resident in 2022; the 2 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $1,502 to $2,833. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Larkspur | $1,502 | $10,000+ |
| Corte Madera | $2,833 | $10,000+ |
| Mill Valley | $2,991 | $10,000+ |
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 Mill Valley’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Mill Valley’s government
How much does Mill Valley spend per resident?
About $3,577 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2023, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $2,991 was more than 90% of 101 California cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.
Who runs Mill Valley’s government?
See cityofmillvalley.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Mill Valley yet.
How did Mill Valley vote in 2024?
California counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Mill Valley alone. Marin County, where 100% of Mill Valley lies, voted Harris 80.6%, Trump 16.7% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Mill Valley?
143 full-time and 109 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $1.5M (about $18.1M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Mill Valley in the state legislature?
State Senate District 2 (Mike McGuire) and Assembly District 12 (Damon Connolly). The Assembly district also covers 14 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Mill Valley’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 →