The California City Management Foundation (CCMF) and the Rose Institute of State and Local Government have released the results of the 2025 California City Manager Survey: A Profile of the Profession. Last conducted in 2023, the survey asks a variety of questions about city manager demographics and policy concerns.
The researchers collected data over a 13-week period beginning on February 18, 2025. City managers were contacted by email. Around 60% of them (291) responded to the survey questions. Their answers were then supplemented with publicly available data.
Below are some of the highlights from the questionnaire. You can read the findings in their entirety here.
City Manager Demographics
City management remains a male-dominated profession. 74% of managers are male and 24% are female. 2% declined to state.
The number of non-white city managers is growing, but the majority (70%) are white. 13% are Latino, 5% are Black, and 4% are Asian.
Most managers (77%) are in their 40s or 50s, with 41% falling in the 51–60 age range. Younger city managers tend to serve in small cities (under 35,000). Managers over age 60 are also more likely to serve in small or medium cities.
Education and Experience
64% of managers have a master’s degree. Doctorate holders comprise 8%. In very large cities, 15% of managers hold doctorates.
The top two institutions for higher degree attainment among city managers are the University of Southern California (7%) and Cal State Long Beach (6%).
The average manager has been serving in the position for 4.5 years. 80% of California managers began their local government careers in the Golden State.
City Manager Concerns
City managers rank the following five issues as the most pressing for their city: fiscal health (55%), infrastructure (44%), economic development (37%), housing (37%), and homelessness (28%).
Economic anxieties are clearly on the rise. In 2023, 46% of managers ranked fiscal health as their top concern — a nine point swing. The percentage of managers who cite the city workforce, crime/public safety, and education as their top concern is on the decline at -7%, -5%, and -5% respectively.
Small cities are the most concerned about fiscal health. By contrast, only two managers of very large cities ranked this as their top concern.
Elections and Governance
Most small cities (53%) are still conducting elections at large. By-district elections are becoming more common in larger cities, and all very large cities now elect council members by district.
The average city council has 5 members (88%). 10% of councils have 7 members.
Only 26% of small cities and 41% of medium cities directly elect their mayors. Among large cities, that figure is 55%.