McCarty Subdivision Historic District · Photo: GamblinMonkey · Public domainDalton spent more per resident in 2022 than 96% of similar cities
Dalton’s city government spent $92.8 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, about $2,702 per resident. Water and other utilities ($305.5 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Dalton is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$2,167 per resident in 2022: more than 96% of them
Dalton’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($2,167 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 $950, and the middle half spent $730–$1,145. Dalton spent more than 96% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($22.3 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; Dalton itself left out).
About $2,702 per resident a year, or $7.40 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 39%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 28% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Dalton 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: $2,167 · 2023: $2,672 · 2024: $2,702.
full-time in March 2025, up from 590 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 $1,637 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.74% 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 Dalton’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 Dalton’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Dalton →
Who’s in charge in Dalton
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Dalton’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on cityofdalton-ga.gov ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 56 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (34,366).
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.
Dalton City School District
Dalton’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $14,758 per pupil, $9,403 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.
Dalton’s votes are counted by county
Georgia reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Dalton alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Whitfield County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican71.9%28,655 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat27.5%10,953 votesOthers: 0.6% (220 votes).
Most votes in Whitfield County: Donald J Trump
Georgia: Trump 50.7%, Harris 48.5%
100% of Dalton lies in Whitfield County. Every 2024 race in Whitfield County is on the county’s page.
Whitfield 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 Dalton.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: cityofdalton-ga.gov ↗
- 2Georgia HouseDalton 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.
Reach Dalton’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Dalton’s government
How much does Dalton spend per resident?
About $2,702 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $2,167 was more than 96% of 22 Georgia cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Dalton?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,637 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.74% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.77% across Georgia. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cityofdalton-ga.gov.
Who runs Dalton’s government?
See cityofdalton-ga.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Dalton yet.
How did Dalton vote in 2024?
Georgia counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Dalton alone. Whitfield County, where 100% of Dalton lies, voted Trump 71.9%, Harris 27.5% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Dalton?
614 full-time and 4 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $4.0M (about $47.5M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Dalton in the state legislature?
Dalton is split among 2 State House districts, so your address decides. The Georgia Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Its State Senate district is District 54 (Chuck Payne). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Dalton’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 →