Photo: Chuffmire · CC BY-SA 4.0Rancho Santa Margarita spent less per resident in 2022 than 100% of similar cities
Rancho Santa Margarita’s city government spent $18.9 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $397 per resident.
What stands out about how Rancho Santa Margarita is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$397 per resident in 2022: less than 100% of them
Rancho Santa Margarita’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($397 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 Santa Margarita spent less than 100% of 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 Santa Margarita itself left out).
About $397 per resident a year, or $1.09 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 47%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Rancho Santa Margarita reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $6,413 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.66% 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 Rancho Santa Margarita’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 Rancho Santa Margarita’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Rancho Santa Margarita →
Who’s in charge in Rancho Santa Margarita
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Rancho Santa Margarita’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on cityofrsm.org ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 1,699 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 (47,569).
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.
Capistrano Unified School District
Rancho Santa Margarita’s K–12 school district, shared with Dana Point, San Clemente, San Juan Capistrano, Laguna Niguel, Aliso Viejo and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $17,395 per pupil, $11,385 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.
Saddleback Valley Unified School District · $17,411 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Rancho Santa Margarita’s votes are counted by county
California reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Rancho Santa Margarita alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Orange County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat49.7%691,577 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican47.1%654,494 votesOthers: 3.2% (44,403 votes).
Most votes in Orange County: Kamala D Harris
California: Harris 58.5%, Trump 38.3%
100% of Rancho Santa Margarita lies in Orange County. Every 2024 race in Orange County is on the county’s page.
Orange 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 Santa Margarita.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: cityofrsm.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 Rancho Santa Margarita compares with the towns next door
Rancho Santa Margarita spent $397 per resident in 2022; the neighbor that reported 2022 spent $818. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Mission Viejo | $818 | $5,876 |
| Rancho Santa Margarita | $397 | $6,413 |
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 Santa Margarita’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Rancho Santa Margarita’s government
How much does Rancho Santa Margarita spend per resident?
About $397 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 $397 was less than 100% of 92 California cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Rancho Santa Margarita?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $6,413 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.66% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.70% across California. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cityofrsm.org.
Who runs Rancho Santa Margarita’s government?
See cityofrsm.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Rancho Santa Margarita yet.
How did Rancho Santa Margarita vote in 2024?
California counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Rancho Santa Margarita alone. Orange County, where 100% of Rancho Santa Margarita lies, voted Harris 49.7%, Trump 47.1% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Rancho Santa Margarita?
28 full-time and 9 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $266,778 (about $3.2M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Rancho Santa Margarita in the state legislature?
State Senate District 38 (Catherine Blakespear) and Assembly District 71 (Kate Sanchez). The Assembly district also covers four other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Rancho Santa Margarita’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 →