Photo: Unknown authorUnknown author or not provided · Public domainSan Diego spent less per resident in 2022 than 91% of similar cities
San Diego’s city government spent $1.4 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $326 per resident.
What stands out about how San Diego is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$326 per resident in 2022: less than 91% of them
San Diego’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($326 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 175 Texas cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $898, and the middle half spent $634–$1,292. San Diego spent less than 91% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($360,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Texas cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; San Diego itself left out).
About $326 per resident a year, or $0.89 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 28%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
San Diego reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $1,260 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.47% of the home’s value, vs 1.49% across Texas.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at San Diego’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 San Diego’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in San Diego →
Who’s in charge in San Diego
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
San Diego’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on cityofsandiegotexas.weebly.com ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 246 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 (4,188).
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.
San Diego Independent School District
San Diego’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $14,028 per pupil, $7,854 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.
Texas districts overall: 51% local, 36% state, 13% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
San Diego’s votes are counted by county
Texas reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for San Diego alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Duval County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican54.8%2,435 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat44.8%1,993 votesOthers: 0.4% (19 votes).
Most votes in Duval County: Donald J Trump
Texas: Trump 56.1%, Harris 42.5%
79% of San Diego lies in Duval County; the rest in Jim Wells County. Every 2024 race in Duval County is on the county’s page.
Duval 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 San Diego.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: cityofsandiegotexas.weebly.com ↗
- 2Texas HouseSan Diego is split between 2 districts
- 3Texas SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseSplit between districts
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Texas
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How San Diego compares with the towns next door
San Diego spent $326 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 |
|---|---|---|
| San Diego | $326 | $1,260 |
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 San Diego’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about San Diego’s government
How much does San Diego spend per resident?
About $326 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $326 was less than 91% of 175 Texas cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in San Diego?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,260 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.47% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.49% across Texas. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cityofsandiegotexas.weebly.com.
Who runs San Diego’s government?
See cityofsandiegotexas.weebly.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for San Diego yet.
How did San Diego vote in 2024?
Texas counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for San Diego alone. Duval County, where 79% of San Diego lies, voted Trump 54.8%, Harris 44.8% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for San Diego?
17 full-time and 7 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $76,643 (about $919,716 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents San Diego in the state legislature?
San Diego is split among 2 State House districts and 2 State Senate districts, so your address decides. The Texas Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about San Diego’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 →