With one city employee for every 0.8 residents, the tiny enclave of Vernon, located in Los Angeles County, has the highest staff-to-resident ratio of any city in California. That’s according to a new analysis by Orange County Register columnist Teri Sforza.
Using 2024 public payroll data reported to the California State Controller’s Office, Sforza ranked staffing levels across California’s cities. The analysis excluded positions with total compensation of $9,000 or less, filtering out part-time and seasonal roles.
While Vernon tops the list for city employees per capita, Laguna Woods ranks at the opposite end. The Orange County retirement community has just one city worker for every 1,322 residents, the lowest ratio in the state. Unlike Vernon, Laguna Woods is a contract city. It outsources police, fire, and other public services, which keeps its direct staffing low.
Interestingly, larger localities don’t necessarily have more employees per capita. Los Angeles, which is the state's most populous city, ranked 49th on the list.
Statewide, the average staffing ratio is one city worker per 113.3 residents.
Read the entire analysis here.