Town Hall · Riverside

Riverside, CA town hall & government

Riverside spent $1.1 billion in the year to June 30, 2024, about $3,278 per resident.

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

Local leadership

Who runs Riverside

Patricia Lock DawsonMayorSince 2020 Wikidata ↗ Out of date?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 If a name is out of date, tell us: when two neighbors agree, it's hidden until the records catch up.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 Riverside's money goes

Spent
$1.1 billion
fiscal year to June 30, 2024
Per resident
$3,278
typical California cities: $2,964
Long-term debt
$2.1 billion
$6,439 per resident
Water & other utilities
$491.8 million47%
Police
$139.9 million13%
Roads & transportation
$88.5 million8%
Fire
$75.8 million7%
Sewer & trash
$75.5 million7%
Parks & libraries
$68.9 million7%
Housing & development
$27.5 million3%
Interest on debt
$22.1 million2%
Courts, inspections & corrections
$21.3 million2%
Health & welfare
$17.6 million2%
Administration & buildings
$6.8 million1%
Other
$15.9 million2%

Where the money comes from

  • Utility sales 43%
  • Sales taxes 19%
  • Fees & charges 14%
  • Interest, fines & other 8%
  • Property taxes 7%
  • From the state 4%
  • From the federal government 3%
  • Other taxes & licenses 2%
  • From other local governments <1%
Town workforce · Census estimate

Who works for Riverside

Full-time staff
2,359
239 part-time too
Average full-time pay
$164,200
a year, before benefits
Sworn police officers
403
and 250 full-time firefighters
Water & other utilities
610 full-time14 part
Police
561 full-time20 part
Fire
263 full-time
Administration & buildings
218 full-time11 part
Parks & libraries
132 full-time183 part
Sewer & trash
175 full-time3 part
Roads & transportation
75 full-time
Housing & development
59 full-time2 part
Health & welfare
43 full-time4 part
Courts, inspections & corrections
42 full-time
Other
181 full-time2 part

Staff on the town's payroll in March 2025. Pay is March payroll times twelve, so it's approximate. Riverside didn't report its staffing to the Census Bureau, so these are the Bureau's estimates.

Schools · school year 2023–24

Riverside Unified School District

Riverside's K–12 school district. It is its own government, with a budget separate from the town's.

Spending per pupil
$18,390
California: $21,206
Students
38,855
in the whole district
Long-term debt
$393.6 million
at year end

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

  • Local 29%
  • State 62%
  • Federal 9%

Of the $18,390 per pupil, $11,212 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 Riverside: Alvord Unified School District ($20,674 per pupil) · Moreno Valley Unified School District ($20,508 per pupil).

Property tax

What homeowners in Riverside pay

Typical tax bill
$3,428
a year · California typical $5,124
Effective rate
0.59%
of home value · California 0.70%
Typical home value
$584,800
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 Riverside's government

Town hall & decisions in Riverside →

Beyond town hall

Who represents Riverside

Riverside is represented in Congress by Senators Alex Padilla and Adam B. Schiff and Representatives Mark Takano and Ken Calvert. Gavin Newsom is governor.

All of Riverside'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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Riverside

California · CA
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