Photo: Aaron Guzman · CC BY-SA 4.0Riverside spent less per resident in 2022 than 74% of similar cities
Riverside’s city government spent $445.4 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $1,389 per resident. Water and other utilities ($408.3 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Riverside is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,120 per resident in 2022: less than 74% of them
Riverside’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,120 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 74 California cities of 250,000–499,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,404, and the middle half spent $1,123–$2,136. Riverside spent less than 74% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($56.5 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 250,000–499,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Riverside itself left out).
About $1,389 per resident a year, or $3.81 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 31%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 20% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Riverside 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: $1,120 · 2023: $1,271 · 2024: $1,389.
full-time in March 2025, up from 2,184 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 $3,428 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.59% 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 Riverside’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 Riverside’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Riverside →
Who’s in charge in Riverside
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time city employee for every 136 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 2024 finance file (320,764).
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.
Riverside Unified School District
Riverside’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $18,390 per pupil, $11,212 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.
Alvord Unified School District · $20,674 per pupil
Moreno Valley Unified School District · $20,508 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Riverside’s votes are counted by county
California reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Riverside alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Riverside County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican49.3%462,957 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat48.1%451,443 votesOthers: 2.7% (24,923 votes).
Most votes in Riverside County: Donald J Trump
California: Harris 58.5%, Trump 38.3%
100% of Riverside lies in Riverside County. Every 2024 race in Riverside County is on the county’s page.
Riverside 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 Riverside.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 2California AssemblyRiverside is split between 3 districts
- 3California SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseSplit between districts
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of California
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Riverside compares with the towns next door
Riverside spent $1,120 per resident in 2022; the 4 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $534 to $2,244. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Jurupa Valley | $534 | $3,334 |
| Moreno Valley | $897 | $3,349 |
| Norco | $1,780 | $4,978 |
| Corona | $2,244 | $4,965 |
| Riverside | $1,120 | $3,428 |
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 Riverside’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Riverside’s government
How much does Riverside spend per resident?
About $1,389 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 $1,120 was less than 74% of 74 California cities of 250,000–499,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Riverside?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,428 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.59% 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 Riverside’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Riverside yet.
How did Riverside vote in 2024?
California counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Riverside alone. Riverside County, where 100% of Riverside lies, voted Trump 49.3%, Harris 48.1% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Riverside?
2,359 full-time and 239 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $32.7M (about $391.9M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Riverside in the state legislature?
Riverside is split among 3 Assembly districts and 2 State Senate districts, so your address decides. The California Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Riverside’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 →