Photo: Colin Marquardt, Colin Marquardt · Public domainPetaluma spent more per resident in 2022 than 68% of similar cities
Petaluma’s city government spent $112.3 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2023, about $1,891 per resident. Water and other utilities ($24.5 million) and the airport ($1.6 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Petaluma is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,586 per resident in 2022: more than 68% of them
Petaluma’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,586 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 $1,263, and the middle half spent $889–$1,772. Petaluma spent more than 68% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($11.8 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 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Petaluma itself left out).
About $1,891 per resident a year, or $5.18 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 25%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 17% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Petaluma 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: $1,586 · 2023: $1,891.
full-time in March 2025, up from 335 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 $5,720 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.65% 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 Petaluma’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 Petaluma’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Petaluma →
Who’s in charge in Petaluma
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Petaluma’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on cityofpetaluma.org ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 155 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2023 finance file (59,403).
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.
Old Adobe Union Elementary School District
Petaluma’s elementary school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $19,622 per pupil, $13,313 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.
Waugh Elementary School District · $14,794 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Petaluma’s votes are counted by county
California reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Petaluma alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Sonoma County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat71.4%179,176 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican25.2%63,219 votesOthers: 3.3% (8,378 votes).
Most votes in Sonoma County: Kamala D Harris
California: Harris 58.5%, Trump 38.3%
100% of Petaluma lies in Sonoma County. Every 2024 race in Sonoma County is on the county’s page.
Sonoma 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 Petaluma.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: cityofpetaluma.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 Petaluma’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Petaluma’s government
How much does Petaluma spend per resident?
About $1,891 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 $1,586 was more than 68% of 101 California cities of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Petaluma?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $5,720 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.65% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.70% across California. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cityofpetaluma.org.
Who runs Petaluma’s government?
See cityofpetaluma.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Petaluma yet.
How did Petaluma vote in 2024?
California counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Petaluma alone. Sonoma County, where 100% of Petaluma lies, voted Harris 71.4%, Trump 25.2% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Petaluma?
383 full-time and 42 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $4.5M (about $53.9M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Petaluma 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 Petaluma’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 →