Photo: Don DeBold from San Jose, CA, USA · CC BY 2.0Santa Cruz spent more per resident in 2022 than 86% of similar cities
Santa Cruz’s city government spent $146.9 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $2,285 per resident. Water and other utilities ($29.8 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Santa Cruz is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
Who’s in charge in Santa Cruz
From public records with a current term; a name is hidden the day its term ends.
About $2,285 per resident a year, or $6.26 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 24%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$2,285 per resident in 2022: more than 86% of them
Santa Cruz’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($2,285 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. Santa Cruz spent more than 86% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($34.8 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; Santa Cruz itself left out).
No trend yet
Santa Cruz reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
full-time in March 2025, up from 915 in 2022.
The typical homeowner pays $6,768 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.56% 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 Santa Cruz’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 Santa Cruz’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Santa Cruz →
One full-time city employee for every 64 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (64,317).
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.
Santa Cruz’s votes are counted by county
California reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Santa Cruz alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Santa Cruz County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat75.3%100,877 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican20.8%27,924 votesOthers: 3.8% (5,148 votes).
Most votes in Santa Cruz County: Kamala D Harris
California: Harris 58.5%, Trump 38.3%
100% of Santa Cruz lies in Santa Cruz County. Every 2024 race in Santa Cruz County is on the county’s page.
Santa Cruz 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 Santa Cruz.
- 1Your cityMayorFred Keeleyas listed by Open States, October 9, 2026
- 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 Santa Cruz compares with the towns next door
Santa Cruz spent $2,285 per resident in 2022. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Santa Cruz | $2,285 | $6,768 |
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 Santa Cruz’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Santa Cruz’s government
How much does Santa Cruz spend per resident?
About $2,285 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 $2,285 was more than 86% of 101 California cities of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Santa Cruz?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $6,768 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.56% 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 is the mayor of Santa Cruz?
Fred Keeley, as listed by Open States (checked October 9, 2026).
How did Santa Cruz vote in 2024?
California counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Santa Cruz alone. Santa Cruz County, where 100% of Santa Cruz lies, voted Harris 75.3%, Trump 20.8% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Santa Cruz?
1,008 full-time and 94 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $8.8M (about $105.2M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Santa Cruz in the state legislature?
State Senate District 17 (John Laird) and Assembly District 28 (Gail Pellerin). The Assembly district also covers five other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Santa Cruz’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 →