Kilgore Mill Covered Bridge and Mill Site · Photo: JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ MD · CC BY-SA 3.0Bethlehem spent less per resident in 2022 than 98% of similar cities
Bethlehem’s town government spent $115,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $148 per resident.
What stands out about how Bethlehem is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$148 per resident in 2022: less than 98% of them
Bethlehem’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($148 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 243 Georgia cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $697, and the middle half spent $433–$1,080. Bethlehem spent less than 98% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($55,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Georgia cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Bethlehem itself left out).
About $148 per resident a year, or $0.41 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 48%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Bethlehem reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $1,929 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.73% of the home’s value, vs 0.77% across Georgia.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Bethlehem’s rate.
Can I afford it? →The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate. In a town this small the estimate has a wide margin.
Tax bills are one input to Bethlehem’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Bethlehem →
Who’s in charge in Bethlehem
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Bethlehem’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on bethlehemga.org ↗.
One full-time town employee for every 776 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (776).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Barrow County School District
Bethlehem’s K–12 school district, shared with Carl, Statham, Winder, Auburn. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $14,509 per pupil, $8,868 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.
Georgia districts overall: 49% local, 39% state, 12% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Bethlehem’s votes are counted by county
Georgia reports official results by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Bethlehem alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Barrow County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican69.9%30,730 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat29.5%12,949 votesOthers: 0.6% (255 votes).
Most votes in Barrow County: Donald J Trump
Georgia: Trump 50.7%, Harris 48.5%
100% of Bethlehem lies in Barrow County. Every 2024 race in Barrow County is on the county’s page.
Barrow County’s 2024 results →Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.
Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for Bethlehem.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: bethlehemga.org ↗
- 2Georgia HouseBethlehem is split between 2 districts
- 3Georgia SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Georgia
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Bethlehem compares with the towns next door
Bethlehem spent $148 per resident in 2022; the neighbor that reported 2022 spent $1,199. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Winder | $1,199 | $2,372 |
| Bethlehem | $148 | $1,929 |
Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).
Reach Bethlehem’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Bethlehem’s government
How much does Bethlehem spend per resident?
About $148 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $148 was less than 98% of 243 Georgia cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Bethlehem?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,929 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.73% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.77% across Georgia. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see bethlehemga.org.
Who runs Bethlehem’s government?
See bethlehemga.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Bethlehem yet.
How did Bethlehem vote in 2024?
Georgia counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Bethlehem alone. Barrow County, where 100% of Bethlehem lies, voted Trump 69.9%, Harris 29.5% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Bethlehem?
1 full-time and 8 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $6,817 (about $81,804 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Bethlehem in the state legislature?
Bethlehem is split among 2 State House districts and 2 State Senate districts, so your address decides. The Georgia Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Bethlehem’s government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →