April 30, 2024
Dear Fiscal Officer:
Price Factor and Population Information
Appropriations Limit
California Revenue and Taxation Code section 2227 requires the Department of Finance to transmit an estimate of the percentage change in population to local governments.
Each local jurisdiction must use their percentage change in population factor for January 1, 2024, in conjunction with a change in the cost of living, or price factor, to calculate their appropriations limit for fiscal year 2024-25. Attachment A provides the change in California’s per capita personal income and an example for utilizing the factors to calculate the 2024-25 appropriations limit. Attachment B provides the city and unincorporated county population percentage change. Attachment C provides the population percentage change for counties and their summed incorporated areas. The population percentage change data excludes federal and state institutionalized populations and military populations.
Population Percent Change for Special Districts
Some special districts must establish an annual appropriations limit.
California Revenue
and Taxation Code section 2228 p rovides additional information regar ding the appropriations limit. Article XIII B, section 9(C) of the California Constitution exempts certain special districts from the appropriations limit calculation mandate. Special districts required by law to calculate their appropriations limit must present the calculation as part of their annual audit. Any questions special districts have on this requirement should be directed to their county, district legal counsel, or the law itself. No state agency reviews the local appropriations limits.
Population Certification
The population certification program applies only to cities and counties. California Revenue and Taxation Code section 11005.6 mandates Finance to automatically certify any population estimate that exceeds the current certified population with the State Controller’s Office. Finance will certify the higher estimate to the State Controller by June 1, 2024. Please note: The prior year’s city population estimates may be revised. The per capita personal income change is based on historical data.
If you have any questions regarding this data, please contact the Demographic Research Unit at (916) 323-4086.
/s Richard Gillihan
RICHARD GILLIHAN
Chief Operating Officer
Attachment
May 2024
Attachment A
A. Price Factor: Article XIII B specifies that local jurisdictions select their cost of living factor to compute their appropriation limit by a vote of their governing body. The cost of living factor provided here is per capita personal income. If the percentage change in per capita personal income is selected, the percentage change to be used in setting the fiscal year 2024-25 appropriation limit is:
Per Capita Personal Income
Fiscal Year Percentage change
(FY) over prior year
2024-25 3.62
B. Following is an example using sample population change and the change in California per capita personal income as growth factors in computing a 2024-25 appropriation limit.
2024-25:
Per Capita Cost of Living Change = 3.62 percent
Population Change = 0.17 percent
Per Capita Cost of Living converted to a ratio: 3.62 + 100 = 1.0362 100
Population converted to a ratio: 0.17 + 100 = 1.0017 100
C alculation of factor for FY 2024-25: 1.0362 x 1.0017 = 1.0379
Fiscal Year 2024-25
Attachment B
Annual Percent Change in Population Minus Exclusions*
January 1, 2023 to January 1, 2024 and Total Population, January 1, 2024 County
City
Percent Change
23-24
--- Population Minus Exclusions ---
1-1-23 1-1-24
Total
Population
1-1-24
Santa Clara
Campbell
Cupertino
Gilroy
Los Altos
Los Altos Hills
Los Gatos
Milpitas
Monte Sereno
Morgan Hill
Mountain View
Palo Alto
San Jose
Santa Clara
Saratoga
Sunnyvale
Unincorporated
-0.22
-0.31
0.80 -0.19
-0.01
-0.41
0.17 0.51
0.11 2.45
-0.21
-0.13
-0.26
-0.08
0.24 -0.53
43,191
59,656
60,419
31,316
8,477
33,368
81,635
3,564
46,333
84,463
68,093
970,772
132,386
30,845
157,187
90,063
43,095
59,471
60,904
31,255
8,476
33,230
81,773
3,582
46,384
86,535
67,953
969,491
132,048
30,819
157,566
89,584
43,095
59,471
61,033
31,255
8,476
33,230
81,773
3,582
46,384
86,535
67,973
969,491
132,048
30,819
157,566
90,467
County Total 0.02 1,901,768 1,902,166 1,903,198
*Exclusions include residents on federal military installations and group quarters residents in state mental institutions, state and federal correctional institutions and veteran homes.