Photo: Cedward Brice · CC BY 2.0Rancho Palos Verdes spent less per resident in 2022 than 80% of similar cities
Rancho Palos Verdes’ city government spent $32.9 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $806 per resident. Water and other utilities ($777,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Rancho Palos Verdes is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$806 per resident in 2022: less than 80% of them
Rancho Palos Verdes’ day-to-day spending in 2022 ($806 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 $840–$1,742. Rancho Palos Verdes spent less than 80% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($452,000), 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; Rancho Palos Verdes itself left out).
About $806 per resident a year, or $2.21 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 36%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Rancho Palos Verdes reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
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 Rancho Palos Verdes’ 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 Rancho Palos Verdes’ Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Rancho Palos Verdes →
Who’s in charge in Rancho Palos Verdes
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Rancho Palos Verdes’ meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on rpvca.gov ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 619 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (40,855).
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.
Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District
Rancho Palos Verdes’ K–12 school district, shared with Palos Verdes Estates, Rolling Hills, Rolling Hills Estates. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $16,812 per pupil, $11,488 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.
Los Angeles Unified School District · $25,643 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Rancho Palos Verdes’ votes are counted by county
California reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Rancho Palos Verdes 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 Rancho Palos Verdes 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 Rancho Palos Verdes.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: rpvca.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 Rancho Palos Verdes compares with the towns next door
Rancho Palos Verdes spent $806 per resident in 2022; the 5 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $596 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Lomita | $596 | $6,232 |
| Rolling Hills Estates | $1,265 | $10,000+ |
| Palos Verdes Estates | $1,587 | $10,000+ |
| Rolling Hills | $2,185 | $10,000+ |
| Los Angeles | $2,398 | $6,050 |
| Rancho Palos Verdes | $806 | $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 Rancho Palos Verdes’ government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Rancho Palos Verdes’ government
How much does Rancho Palos Verdes spend per resident?
About $806 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 $806 was less than 80% of 92 California cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools.
Who runs Rancho Palos Verdes’ government?
See rpvca.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Rancho Palos Verdes yet.
How did Rancho Palos Verdes vote in 2024?
California counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Rancho Palos Verdes alone. Los Angeles County, where 100% of Rancho Palos Verdes lies, voted Harris 64.8%, Trump 31.9% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Rancho Palos Verdes?
66 full-time and 54 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $617,194 (about $7.4M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Rancho Palos Verdes in the state legislature?
State Senate District 24 (Ben Allen) and Assembly District 66 (Al Muratsuchi). The Assembly district also covers 11 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Rancho Palos Verdes’ 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 →