John Dielmann House · Photo: BriefEdits · CC BY-SA 4.0Redwood City spent more per resident in 2022 than 89% of similar cities
Redwood City’s city government spent $237.2 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $2,946 per resident. Water and other utilities ($40.6 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Redwood City is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$2,403 per resident in 2022: more than 89% of them
Redwood City’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($2,403 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–$1,736. Redwood City spent more than 89% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($34.5 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; Redwood City itself left out).
About $2,946 per resident a year, or $8.07 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 24%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 17% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Redwood City 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: $2,403 · 2024: $2,946. Per resident it went from $2,403 to $2,946 (up 23%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 84,466 to 80,512.
full-time in March 2025, up from 537 in 2022. Both are Census estimates.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $9,935 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.55% 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 Redwood City’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 Redwood City’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Redwood City →
Who’s in charge in Redwood City
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time city employee for every 141 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 (80,512).
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.
Sequoia Union High School District
Redwood City’s high school district, shared with Atherton, East Palo Alto, Menlo Park, Portola Valley, San Carlos and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $27,344 per pupil, $15,214 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.
Redwood City Elementary School District · $23,614 per pupil
Belmont-Redwood Shores Elementary School District · $15,591 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Redwood City’s votes are counted by county
California reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Redwood City alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are San Mateo County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat73.5%242,834 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican23.2%76,515 votesOthers: 3.3% (10,929 votes).
Most votes in San Mateo County: Kamala D Harris
California: Harris 58.5%, Trump 38.3%
100% of Redwood City lies in San Mateo County. Every 2024 race in San Mateo County is on the county’s page.
San Mateo 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 Redwood City.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 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 Redwood City compares with the towns next door
Redwood City spent $2,403 per resident in 2022; the 6 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $1,778 to $3,135. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Foster City | $1,778 | $10,000+ |
| Woodside | $1,880 | $10,000+ |
| San Carlos | $2,014 | $10,000+ |
| Menlo Park | $2,049 | $10,000+ |
| Belmont | $2,596 | $10,000+ |
| Atherton | $3,135 | $10,000+ |
| Redwood City | $2,403 | $9,935 |
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 Redwood City’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Redwood City’s government
How much does Redwood City spend per resident?
About $2,946 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 $2,403 was more than 89% of 101 California cities of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Redwood City?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $9,935 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.55% 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 runs Redwood City’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Redwood City yet.
How did Redwood City vote in 2024?
California counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Redwood City alone. San Mateo County, where 100% of Redwood City lies, voted Harris 73.5%, Trump 23.2% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Redwood City?
572 full-time and 186 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $9.1M (about $108.8M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Redwood City in the state legislature?
State Senate District 13 (Josh Becker) and Assembly District 21 (Diane Papan). The Assembly district also covers 13 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Redwood City’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 →