Photo: SudoGhost · CC BY-SA 3.0Buford spent more per resident in 2022 than 71% of similar cities
Buford’s city government spent $29.9 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $1,652 per resident. Water and other utilities ($48.1 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Buford is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,507 per resident in 2022: more than 71% of them
Buford’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,507 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 42 Georgia cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,175, and the middle half spent $865–$1,687. Buford spent more than 71% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($9.6 million), 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 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Buford itself left out).
About $1,652 per resident a year, or $4.53 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 44%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 26% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Buford reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.
Day-to-day spending by fiscal year
Per resident: 2022: $1,507 · 2023: $1,609 · 2024: $1,652. Per resident it went from $1,507 to $1,652 (up 10%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 15,750 to 18,130.
full-time in March 2025, up from 137 in 2022. Both are Census estimates.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $2,457 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.67% 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 Buford’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.
Tax bills are one input to Buford’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Buford →
Who’s in charge in Buford
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Buford’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on cityofbuford.com ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 125 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (18,130).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Buford City School District
Buford’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $14,999 per pupil, $9,508 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.
Buford’s votes are counted by county
Georgia reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Buford alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Gwinnett County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat57.6%242,507 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican41.1%173,041 votesOthers: 1.2% (5,133 votes).
Most votes in Gwinnett County: Kamala D Harris
Georgia: Trump 50.7%, Harris 48.5%
84% of Buford lies in Gwinnett County; the rest in Hall County. Every 2024 race in Gwinnett County is on the county’s page.
Gwinnett 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 Buford.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: cityofbuford.com ↗
- 2Georgia HouseBuford is split between 3 districts
- 3Georgia SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseSplit between districts
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Georgia
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Buford compares with the towns next door
Buford spent $1,507 per resident in 2022; the neighbor that reported 2022 spent $1,984. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Flowery Branch | $1,984 | $3,853 |
| Sugar Hill | estimate | $3,993 |
| Buford | $1,507 | $2,457 |
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 Buford’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Buford’s government
How much does Buford spend per resident?
About $1,652 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,507 was more than 71% of 42 Georgia cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Buford?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,457 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.67% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.77% across Georgia. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cityofbuford.com.
Who runs Buford’s government?
See cityofbuford.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Buford yet.
How did Buford vote in 2024?
Georgia counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Buford alone. Gwinnett County, where 84% of Buford lies, voted Harris 57.6%, Trump 41.1% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Buford?
145 full-time and 3 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $1.0M (about $12.5M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Buford in the state legislature?
Buford is split among 3 State House districts and 3 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 Buford’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 →