Photo: Mark Miller · CC BY-SA 3.0South Lake Tahoe spent more per resident in 2022 than 85% of similar cities
South Lake Tahoe’s city government spent $54.5 million on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2022, about $2,386 per resident. The airport ($1.2 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how South Lake Tahoe is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$2,386 per resident in 2022: more than 85% of them
South Lake Tahoe’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($2,386 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 101 California cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,377, and the middle half spent $885–$1,875. South Lake Tahoe spent more than 85% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($200,000), 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 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; South Lake Tahoe itself left out).
About $2,386 per resident a year, or $6.54 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 25%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
South Lake Tahoe reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $4,007 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 South Lake Tahoe’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 South Lake Tahoe’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in South Lake Tahoe →
Who’s in charge in South Lake Tahoe
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
South Lake Tahoe’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on cityofslt.us ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 118 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 (22,847).
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.
Lake Tahoe Unified School District
South Lake Tahoe’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $17,395 per pupil, $10,778 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.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
South Lake Tahoe’s votes are counted by county
California reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for South Lake Tahoe alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are El Dorado County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican54.6%61,020 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat42.7%47,675 votesOthers: 2.7% (3,072 votes).
Most votes in El Dorado County: Donald J Trump
California: Harris 58.5%, Trump 38.3%
100% of South Lake Tahoe lies in El Dorado County. Every 2024 race in El Dorado County is on the county’s page.
El Dorado 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 South Lake Tahoe.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: cityofslt.us ↗
- 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.
Reach South Lake Tahoe’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about South Lake Tahoe’s government
How much does South Lake Tahoe spend per resident?
About $2,386 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $2,386 was more than 85% of 101 California cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in South Lake Tahoe?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $4,007 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 cityofslt.us.
Who runs South Lake Tahoe’s government?
See cityofslt.us for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for South Lake Tahoe yet.
How did South Lake Tahoe vote in 2024?
California counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for South Lake Tahoe alone. El Dorado County, where 100% of South Lake Tahoe lies, voted Trump 54.6%, Harris 42.7% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for South Lake Tahoe?
193 full-time and 19 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $1.8M (about $21.3M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents South Lake Tahoe in the state legislature?
State Senate District 4 (Marie Alvarado-Gil) and Assembly District 1 (Heather Hadwick). The Assembly district also covers 24 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about South Lake Tahoe’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 →