Photo: Cantonga · CC BY-SA 4.0Canton spent less per resident in 2022 than 73% of similar cities
Canton’s city government spent $22.7 million on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2024, about $633 per resident. Water and other utilities ($4.6 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Canton is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$740 per resident in 2022: less than 73% of them
Canton’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($740 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 22 Georgia cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $998, and the middle half spent $754–$1,251. Canton spent less than 73% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($6.7 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 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Canton itself left out).
About $633 per resident a year, or $1.73 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 28%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is down 5% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Canton 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: $740 · 2023: $602 · 2024: $633. Per resident it went from $740 to $633 (down 14%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 32,347 to 35,809.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $2,548 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.62% 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 Canton’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 Canton’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Canton →
Who’s in charge in Canton
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Canton’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on canton-georgia.com ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 311 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (35,809).
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.
Cherokee County School District
Canton’s K–12 school district, shared with Ball Ground, Holly Springs, Waleska, Woodstock, Nelson. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $14,750 per pupil, $9,473 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.
Canton’s votes are counted by county
Georgia reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Canton alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Cherokee County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican69.1%112,142 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat30.1%48,838 votesOthers: 0.8% (1,301 votes).
Most votes in Cherokee County: Donald J Trump
Georgia: Trump 50.7%, Harris 48.5%
100% of Canton lies in Cherokee County. Every 2024 race in Cherokee County is on the county’s page.
Cherokee 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 Canton.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: canton-georgia.com ↗
- 2Georgia HouseCanton 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 Canton compares with the towns next door
Canton spent $740 per resident in 2022; the neighbor that reported 2022 spent $572. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Holly Springs | $572 | $3,740 |
| Canton | $740 | $2,548 |
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 Canton’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Canton’s government
How much does Canton spend per resident?
About $633 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $740 was less than 73% of 22 Georgia cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Canton?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,548 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.62% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.77% across Georgia. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see canton-georgia.com.
Who runs Canton’s government?
See canton-georgia.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Canton yet.
How did Canton vote in 2024?
Georgia counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Canton alone. Cherokee County, where 100% of Canton lies, voted Trump 69.1%, Harris 30.1% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Canton?
115 full-time and 14 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $558,893 (about $6.7M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Canton in the state legislature?
Canton 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 Canton’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 →