Photo: Biriosciwasco · CC BY-SA 4.0Wasco spent less per resident in 2022 than 98% of similar cities
Wasco’s city government spent $13.2 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $460 per resident. Water and other utilities ($2.7 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Wasco is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$460 per resident in 2022: less than 98% of them
Wasco’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($460 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 92 California cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,164, and the middle half spent $840–$1,742. Wasco spent less than 98% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($4.3 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 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Wasco itself left out).
About $460 per resident a year, or $1.26 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 38%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Wasco reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $1,989 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.73% 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 Wasco’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 Wasco’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Wasco →
Who’s in charge in Wasco
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Wasco’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on ci.wasco.ca.us ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 471 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (28,734).
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.
Wasco Union Elementary School District
Wasco’s elementary school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $20,303 per pupil, $10,996 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.
Wasco Union High School District · $19,295 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Wasco’s votes are counted by county
California reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Wasco alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Kern County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican59.2%167,414 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat38.2%108,047 votesOthers: 2.5% (7,118 votes).
Most votes in Kern County: Donald J Trump
California: Harris 58.5%, Trump 38.3%
100% of Wasco lies in Kern County. Every 2024 race in Kern County is on the county’s page.
Kern 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 Wasco.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: ci.wasco.ca.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 Wasco’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Wasco’s government
How much does Wasco spend per resident?
About $460 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 $460 was less than 98% of 92 California cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Wasco?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,989 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.73% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.70% across California. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see ci.wasco.ca.us.
Who runs Wasco’s government?
See ci.wasco.ca.us for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Wasco yet.
How did Wasco vote in 2024?
California counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Wasco alone. Kern County, where 100% of Wasco lies, voted Trump 59.2%, Harris 38.2% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Wasco?
61 full-time and 3 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $377,365 (about $4.5M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Wasco in the state legislature?
State Senate District 16 (Melissa Hurtado) and Assembly District 35 (Jasmeet Bains). The Assembly district also covers five other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Wasco’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 →