Photo: TCP04 · CC BY 4.0California spent less per resident in 2022 than 67% of similar cities
California’s city government spent $2.6 million on day-to-day services in the year to March 31, 2022, about $590 per resident. Water and other utilities ($4 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how California is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$590 per resident in 2022: less than 67% of them
California’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($590 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 79 Missouri cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $780, and the middle half spent $510–$1,041. California spent less than 67% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($540,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Missouri cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; California itself left out).
About $590 per resident a year, or $1.62 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 25%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
California reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $1,114 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.73% of the home’s value, vs 0.85% across Missouri.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at California’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 California’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in California →
Who’s in charge in California
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
California’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on cityofcalifornia.net ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 107 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 (4,403).
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.
Moniteau County R-I School District
California’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $10,987 per pupil, $6,374 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.
Missouri districts overall: 54% local, 35% state, 11% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
California’s votes are counted by county
Missouri reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for California alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Moniteau County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican80.8%5,877 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat18.0%1,313 votesOthers: 1.2% (85 votes).
Most votes in Moniteau County: Donald J Trump
Missouri: Trump 58.5%, Harris 40.1%
100% of California lies in Moniteau County. Every 2024 race in Moniteau County is on the county’s page.
Moniteau 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 California.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: cityofcalifornia.net ↗
- 2Missouri HouseState representatives
- 3Missouri SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Missouri
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
Reach California’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about California’s government
How much does California spend per resident?
About $590 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to March 31, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $590 was less than 67% of 79 Missouri cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in California?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,114 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.73% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.85% across Missouri. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cityofcalifornia.net.
Who runs California’s government?
See cityofcalifornia.net for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for California yet.
How did California vote in 2024?
Missouri counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for California alone. Moniteau County, where 100% of California lies, voted Trump 80.8%, Harris 18.0% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for California?
41 full-time and 9 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $135,239 (about $1.6M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents California in the state legislature?
State Senate District 6 (Mike Bernskoetter) and State House District 58 (Willard Haley). The House district also covers 11 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about California’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 →