City of Carson, California

What City of Carson, California does

The City of Carson is a chartered municipal government in the South Bay subregion of metropolitan Los Angeles County, incorporated in 1968 and serving approximately 96,901 residents with a workforce of 501-1,000 employees. It provides the full suite of municipal services including public safety (contracted through the LA County Sheriff's Department and LA County Fire), housing and community development (including CDBG-funded programs), parks and recreation, public works, transportation (Dial-A-Ride, Carson Circuit fixed-route service, and a Lyft partnership), business licensing and permitting, code enforcement, and emergency management. Core technology infrastructure comprises a GIS Portal for spatial data, a Community Broadband Network anchored by a $27 million fiber optic backbone, and an SB 272-compliant Enterprise System Catalog covering multi-departmental software.

Revenue is generated through nine principal streams: property taxes, a Measure R utility users tax, a Measure K transaction and use tax (adopted 2020), a Measure C oil industry tax (in place since 2017), business license taxes on gross receipts, franchise fees (cable, public and non-public utility pipelines, solid waste hauling), transient occupancy tax, regulatory permit fees across multiple business categories, and federal Community Development Block Grant entitlement funding. The fiscal year runs July 1 to June 30. The city's primary customer segments are its residents (71.8% homeowners, ~80% in single-family neighborhoods), local businesses requiring licensing and permits, housing-insecure residents utilizing CDBG and homeless outreach services, and visitors to its event venues including Dignity Health Sports Park, VELO Sports Center, and the Carson Event Center.

Strategically, Carson is positioning for two major global events: the 2026 FIFA World Cup (for which it is launching a city-owned internet service and seeking an $8.19 million CPUC grant for fiber upgrades) and the LA28 Olympic Games, for which Dignity Health Sports Park is confirmed as a host venue for soccer and other sports. A $10 million, 1,000-seat amphitheater has been unveiled, and the city is soliciting a master developer for the Carson Civic Center Campus with bids due July 23, 2026. The city is governed by Mayor Lula Davis-Holmes (re-elected November 2024, the first Black female Mayor of Carson, elected 2020) and a four-district City Council.

Name

City of Carson, California

Legal name

City of Carson, California

Website

https://ci.carson.ca.us

Company type

Private

Founded year

1968

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

The City of Carson is a chartered municipal government in Los Angeles County, incorporated in 1968, serving 96,901 residents through public safety, housing, parks, recreation, business licensing, and a $27 million municipal fiber broadband network, with confirmed LA28 Olympic and 2026 FIFA World Cup venue roles.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Municipal Government Services

NAICS

Regulation, Licensing, and Inspection of Miscellaneous Commercial Sectors (92615), Administration of Housing Programs, Urban Planning, and Community Development (9251), Justice, Public Order, and Safety Activities (922), Regulation and Administration of Communications, Electric, Gas, and Other Utilities (92613), Administration of Housing Programs, Urban Planning, and Community Development (925)

akta.pro primary industry

City Clerk/Records, Elections & Civic Engagement (BPAIACAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Works & Municipal Infrastructure (Streets, Stormwater, Facilities) (BPAIACAF), Planning, Zoning, Permitting & Code Enforcement (BPAIACAE), Public Works Departments (Streets, Bridges, Stormwater, Fleet, Maintenance) (BPAIALAD)

Keywords

• Municipal government services
• Public safety services
• Community development programs
• Parks and recreation
• Business licensing permits

Headquarters

HQ city

Carson

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Property Tax Revenue: Property taxes collected from residential and commercial properties within city limits
2. Utility Users Tax (Measure R): City-wide utility users tax continuation measure for general city operations
3. Transaction and Use Tax (Measure K): City sales tax measure adopted in 2020
4. Oil Industry Tax (Measure C): Tax on oil industry operations within city limits since 2017
5. Business License Fees: Annual business license taxes based on gross receipts, with varying rates by business type including professional services, retail, and manufacturing categories
6. Franchise Fees: Fees from cable television, pipeline franchises (both public and non-public utilities), and trash/solid waste hauling services
7. Transient Occupancy Tax: Tax on temporary lodging facilities including hotels and motels
8. Regulatory Permit Fees: Various permit fees for businesses requiring regulatory permits per Carson Municipal Code including massage parlors, tobacco retailers, entertainment venues, auto repair, and more
9. Community Development Block Grant (CDBG): Federal HUD entitlement funding for housing and community development activities under five-year consolidated plan

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels9 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

The City of Carson, California is a municipal government entity that delivers comprehensive public services to approximately 96,901 residents and businesses within its jurisdiction. Core services include public safety, housing and community development, parks and recreation, public works, transportation, business licensing and permitting, code enforcement, and economic development. The city also operates civic facilities including the Carson Event Center, Dignity Health Sports Park, and parks and recreation facilities.

Product overview

The City of Carson, California is a municipal government entity that operates a comprehensive public services portal rather than a commercial product company. The city's online presence provides residents access to government services including housing programs, public safety, finance and licensing, community services, public works, transportation, energy and sustainability initiatives, and information technology services. The city has launched several infrastructure projects including an EV Charging Wallet Pilot Program and a $27 million fiber optic network project. No commercial products or technology products are offered by the City of Carson.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Public Safety Services
• Housing and Community Development Programs
• Parks and Recreation Services
• Carson Event Center
• Transportation Services
• Business Licensing and Permitting
• Public Works and Engineering Services
• Human Services and Education Programs
• Carson Career Center
• Code Enforcement Services

Quantifiable outcome

• 96,901 population served with comprehensive municipal services
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• City of Hidden HillscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 April 2026Joint sponsorship of California Assembly Bill 2529 to increase accountability in government claims process. Both cities formally endorsed the measure and are urging California State Legislature to approve it to improve accountability and protect public funds.
• Los Angeles County Sheriff's DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLASD operates the Carson Sheriff's Station providing 24/7 law enforcement and emergency response services to the City of Carson and surrounding unincorporated county areas since 1974.
• Los Angeles County Fire DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLA County Fire Department Station 116 provides fire and medical emergency response to the Carson community. Station 10 also serves the area.
• LA28 Olympic CommitteeflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCarson confirmed as venue host for LA28 Olympic Games. Dignity Health Sports Park will host Olympic soccer and other events, positioning Carson for international visibility.
• California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Carson & CSUDH Mentorship Program 2024. CSUDH is located within Carson and provides educational opportunities and career center services to residents.
• Los Angeles County Library SystemminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for library services including Carson Regional Library and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library (currently temporarily closed for refurbishment).
• LA MetrominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTransit connections through Metro services and regional transportation planning coordination.
• GoodyearminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGoodyear Blimp Base located adjacent to Carson serving as home to the Wingfoot Two airship since 2017.
• California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCity seeking $8.19M CPUC grant for fiber optic network improvement to support 2026 FIFA World Cup internet infrastructure.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• City of Long Beach, California: Adjacent South Bay/LA County coastal city, similar municipal service scope (port economy, diverse tax base, business licensing) but materially larger in population and budget; provides a direct scale comparable for evaluating Carson's operations and capital capacity.
• City of Santa Monica, California: LA County city that pioneered the municipal fiber network (CityNet) that the Carson IT Director helped build; provides a direct comparable for evaluating the financial and operational model of the planned Carson municipal ISP launch.

Direct peers

• City of Torrance, California: Direct South Bay peer city of comparable size and demographics, with a similar mix of industrial, residential, and retail revenue, and parallel municipal broadband/utilities programs. Closest functional comparable for operating-budget and service-delivery benchmarking.
• City of Hawthorne, California: South Bay LA County city of similar size with a comparable mix of residential, industrial, and aerospace-adjacent businesses; relevant peer for transportation-program design (including on-demand/Lyft-style services) and small-format event venue economics.
• City of Signal Hill, California: Small LA County city with significant oil-industry presence and tax exposure; directly comparable for assessing Measure C revenue risk and transition strategy in a refining-dependent municipal tax base.
• City of Inglewood, California: LA County city also serving as an LA28 Olympic venue host (SoFi Stadium) with major capital reinvestment programs; provides a directly comparable peer navigating the same event-driven infrastructure and economic development cycle as Carson.
• City of Gardena, California: South Bay LA County city with similar population profile and industrial-commercial tax base, providing a tight size and revenue-mix comparable for evaluating Carson's economic-development strategy.
• City of Compton, California: Adjacent LA County city of similar scale, demographics, and economic-development challenges; directly comparable for assessing community development block grant deployment, housing programs, and public-safety contracting approaches.
• City of Lakewood, California: LA County city with comparable population size and largely residential/owner-occupied demographic mix; useful peer for benchmarking service delivery, homeowner-population revenue stability, and parks-and-recreation programming.

Regional players

• City of Lomita, California: Smaller adjacent South Bay city sharing regional infrastructure (LA Metro, county services) but with a more limited budget scale; useful peer for benchmarking shared service arrangements and the floor of viable municipal service delivery.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cityofcarson_ca
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC3ethohaz3fuapOdycVAmWg?view_as=subscriber
• Facebookfacebook.com/cityofcarson
• Instagraminstagram.com/cityofcarsonca

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about City of Carson, California