Town Hall · Palmdale

Palmdale, CA town hall & government

Palmdale spent $251.1 million in the year to June 30, 2024, about $1,536 per resident.

Where the money goes, where it comes from, property taxes, and how to reach Palmdale's government.

Local leadership

Who runs Palmdale

Laura BettencourtMayorSince 2020 Wikidata ↗ Out of date? Sign in to tell us

From public records (Open States and Wikidata), which can lag behind an election. If a name is out of date, tell us: when two neighbors agree, it's hidden until the records catch up.

Town budget

Where Palmdale's money goes

Spent
$251.1 million
fiscal year to June 30, 2024
Per resident
$1,536
typical California cities: $2,964
Long-term debt
$205.3 million
$1,256 per resident
Water & other utilities
$59.3 million24%
Roads & transportation
$44.1 million18%
Police
$35.6 million14%
Housing & development
$31.1 million12%
Administration & buildings
$29.8 million12%
Parks & libraries
$21.9 million9%
Interest on debt
$6.1 million2%
Courts, inspections & corrections
$4.3 million2%
Health & welfare
$4.3 million2%
Sewer & trash
$3.2 million1%
Fire
$74,000<1%
Other
$11.3 million5%

Where the money comes from

  • Property taxes 27%
  • Sales taxes 26%
  • Utility sales 23%
  • Fees & charges 6%
  • Interest, fines & other 6%
  • From the state 5%
  • From the federal government 4%
  • Other taxes & licenses 3%
  • From other local governments 1%
Town workforce

Who works for Palmdale

Full-time staff
224
180 part-time too
Average full-time pay
$89,300
a year, before benefits
Parks & libraries
20 full-time104 part
Roads & transportation
66 full-time3 part
Administration & buildings
41 full-time3 part
Housing & development
26 full-time6 part
Sewer & trash
13 full-time2 part
Health & welfare
4 full-time14 part
Courts, inspections & corrections
6 full-time
Other
48 full-time48 part

Staff on the town's payroll in March 2022. Pay is March payroll times twelve, so it's approximate.

Schools · school year 2023–24

Antelope Valley Union Joint High School District

Palmdale's middle and high school district, shared with Lancaster. It is its own government, with a budget separate from the town's.

Spending per pupil
$17,509
California: $21,206
Students
21,737
in the whole district
Long-term debt
$44.1 million
at year end

Where the district's money comes from California districts overall: 36% local, 52% state, 11% federal

  • Local 24%
  • State 63%
  • Federal 13%

Of the $17,509 per pupil, $10,296 goes to classroom instruction (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to support services such as buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren't in the per-pupil figure.

Also serving Palmdale: Palmdale Elementary School District ($19,891 per pupil) · Westside Union Elementary School District ($14,593 per pupil) · Eastside Union Elementary School District ($21,070 per pupil).

Property tax

What homeowners in Palmdale pay

Typical tax bill
$4,493
a year · California typical $5,124
Effective rate
0.95%
of home value · California 0.70%
Typical home value
$471,000
owner-occupied

The median yearly bill homeowners report, covering every local property tax on the home (town, schools, county). The effective rate is that bill divided by the median home value, so it's a rough guide, not the official tax rate.

Local

Contact Palmdale's government

🏛️ Official websitecityofpalmdale.org ↗

Town hall & decisions in Palmdale →

Beyond town hall

Who represents Palmdale

Palmdale is represented in Congress by Senators Alex Padilla and Adam B. Schiff and Representative George Whitesides. Gavin Newsom is governor.

All of Palmdale's representatives, with contacts →

Budget: U.S. Census Bureau, 2022 Census of Governments: Finance (every city and town government's revenue, spending and debt, grouped into plain categories). Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 5-year estimates.

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Palmdale

California · CA
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