Photo: David Wakely · CC BY-SA 2.5Pasadena spent more per resident in 2022 than 95% of similar cities
Pasadena’s city government spent $500.2 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $3,727 per resident. Water and other utilities ($182 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Pasadena is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
Who’s in charge in Pasadena
From public records with a current term; a name is hidden the day its term ends.
About $3,727 per resident a year, or $10.21 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 22%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$3,152 per resident in 2022: more than 95% of them
Pasadena’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($3,152 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. Pasadena spent more than 95% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($23 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 100,000–249,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Pasadena itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is up 13% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Pasadena 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: $3,152 · 2023: $3,230 · 2024: $3,727. Per resident it went from $3,152 to $3,727 (up 18%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 141,045 to 134,211.
full-time in March 2025, up from 1,689 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 $6,843 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.63% 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 Pasadena’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 Pasadena’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Pasadena →
One full-time city employee for every 73 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 (134,211).
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.
Pasadena Unified School District
Pasadena’s K–12 school district, shared with Sierra Madre. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $24,911 per pupil, $13,230 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.
La Cañada Unified School District · $17,383 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Pasadena’s votes are counted by county
California reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Pasadena 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 Pasadena 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 Pasadena.
- 1Your cityMayorVictor Gordoas listed by Open States, October 9, 2026
- 2California AssemblyState representatives
- 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 Pasadena compares with the towns next door
Pasadena spent $3,152 per resident in 2022; the 6 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $906 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 |
|---|---|---|
| La Cañada Flintridge | $906 | $10,000+ |
| South Pasadena | $1,856 | $9,937 |
| Sierra Madre | $1,930 | $8,344 |
| San Marino | $2,078 | $10,000+ |
| Glendale | $2,362 | $6,679 |
| Los Angeles | $2,398 | $6,050 |
| Pasadena | $3,152 | $6,843 |
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 Pasadena’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Pasadena’s government
How much does Pasadena spend per resident?
About $3,727 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 $3,152 was more than 95% of 59 California cities of 100,000–249,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Pasadena?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $6,843 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.63% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.70% across California. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the city’s assessor.
Who is the mayor of Pasadena?
Victor Gordo, as listed by Open States (checked October 9, 2026).
How did Pasadena vote in 2024?
California counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Pasadena alone. Los Angeles County, where 100% of Pasadena lies, voted Harris 64.8%, Trump 31.9% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Pasadena?
1,829 full-time and 306 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $21.6M (about $259.4M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Pasadena in the state legislature?
State Senate District 25 (Sasha Pérez) and Assembly District 41 (John Harabedian). The Assembly district also covers 11 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Pasadena’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 →