More than 65 percent of the County – 2,649 square miles – is unincorporated. For the 1 million people living in those areas, the Board of Supervisors is their "city council" and County departments provide the municipal services. The County's budget is over $25 billion. 22 percent of the revenue comes from the state, 22 percent from the federal government, 19 percent from property taxes, and 37 percent from other sources. The largest percent of the budget, 27 percent, goes to pay for health services, while 26 percent is spent on public protection and 26 percent on social services.
The County, with 101,296 budgeted positions, is the largest employer in the five-county region. Of these budgeted positions, 31,568 are in law and justice, 28,772 are in health services, and 21,405 are in social services. The spectrum of job listings – from clerk to truck driver, sanitarian to psychiatrist, scientist to scuba diver, attorney to helicopter pilot – encompasses nearly every trade and profession, and illustrates the complexity of County government.