Photo: Dicklyon · CC BY-SA 4.0Richmond spent more per resident in 2022 than 78% of similar cities
Richmond’s city government spent $271.4 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2023, about $2,347 per resident.
What stands out about how Richmond is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$2,090 per resident in 2022: more than 78% of them
Richmond’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($2,090 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. Richmond spent more than 78% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($10.6 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; Richmond itself left out).
About $2,347 per resident a year, or $6.43 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 22%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 18% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Richmond 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: $2,090 · 2023: $2,347. Per resident it went from $2,090 to $2,347 (up 12%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 110,038 to 115,639.
full-time in March 2025, up from 686 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 $6,291 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.94% 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 Richmond’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 Richmond’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Richmond →
Who’s in charge in Richmond
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time city employee for every 156 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2023 finance file (115,639).
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.
Acalanes Union High School District
Richmond’s high school district, shared with Lafayette, Moraga, Orinda, Walnut Creek. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $20,081 per pupil, $11,596 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.
West Contra Costa Unified School District · $21,597 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Richmond’s votes are counted by county
California reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Richmond alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Contra Costa County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat67.4%355,460 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican29.3%154,751 votesOthers: 3.3% (17,548 votes).
Most votes in Contra Costa County: Kamala D Harris
California: Harris 58.5%, Trump 38.3%
100% of Richmond lies in Contra Costa County. Every 2024 race in Contra Costa County is on the county’s page.
Contra Costa 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 Richmond.
- 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 Richmond compares with the towns next door
No neighbor is close in size, so the comparison above uses California cities of 100,000–249,999 that don’t run their own schools. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Pinole | $1,675 | $5,863 |
| El Cerrito | $1,815 | $9,367 |
| Albany | $1,875 | $10,000+ |
| Richmond | $2,090 | $6,291 |
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 Richmond’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Richmond’s government
How much does Richmond spend per resident?
About $2,347 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 $2,090 was more than 78% of 59 California cities of 100,000–249,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Richmond?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $6,291 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.94% 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 Richmond’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Richmond yet.
How did Richmond vote in 2024?
California counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Richmond alone. Contra Costa County, where 100% of Richmond lies, voted Harris 67.4%, Trump 29.3% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Richmond?
739 full-time and 134 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $11.2M (about $134.2M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Richmond in the state legislature?
State Senate District 7 (Jesse Arreguín) and Assembly District 14 (Buffy Wicks). The Assembly district also covers eight other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Richmond’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 →