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GA Darien Vernon-Columbus Square HD city hall01Photo: Ebyabe · CC BY-SA 3.0
Town Hall · Darien

Darien spent more per resident in 2022 than 93% of similar cities

Darien’s city government spent $3.6 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $1,962 per resident. Water and other utilities ($655,000) are counted separately.

Town website
Election Day

Today

General election in Georgia.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$3.6M
year to June 30, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$1,962
In 2022: $1,962, more than 93% of 243 similar cities
Long-term debt
$3.5M
end of FY2022, reported
City staff, 2022
34
full-time · 2 part-time · March payroll $115,413
Typical tax bill
$1,845
1.07% of home value · GA 0.77%

What stands out about how Darien is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

Compared with similar places

$1,962 per resident in 2022: more than 93% of them

Darien’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,962 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 $696, and the middle half spent $428–$1,060. Darien spent more than 93% of them.

Middle half of the group, $428–$1,060Median $696Darien

Includes sewer and trash ($535,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →

The group
243

Georgia cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Darien itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $1,962 per resident a year, or $5.38 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 35%.

Where the money comes from
From other local governments 22%Interest, fines & other 22%Fees & charges 19%Property taxes 12%Sales taxes 8%From the federal government 7%Utility sales 7%Other taxes & licenses 2%From the state <1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $179,000; interest on debt $136,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $4.6 million.
Over the years

No trend yet

Darien reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $1,845 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.07% of the home’s value, vs 0.77% across Georgia.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Georgia$2,341
Darien$1,845
$1,845
typical bill a year
1.07%
effective rate
$172,200
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Darien’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 Darien’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Darien →

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Darien

Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.

See cityofdarienga.com for Darien’s current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Darien yet.cityofdarienga.com ↗
Agendas

Darien’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on cityofdarienga.com ↗.

Who works for Darien

One full-time city employee for every 54 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 (1,846).

By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022

Police10
Courts, inspections & corrections6
Water & other utilities6
Administration & buildings5
Roads & transportation5
Sewer & trash2
Other0 + 2 pt
34
full-time
2
part-time
$115,413
payroll for March 2022
$1.4M
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$39,900
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
10
sworn police officers
Compared, 2022.Darien had 18.4 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 203 of the 243 Georgia cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 5.5: Darien had more than 93% of them. Same group and year as the budget comparison.

The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.

The school district

McIntosh County School District

Darien’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Darien →
$16,581
per pupil · GA $15,800
1,325
students
None
long-term debt

Of the $16,581 per pupil, $9,005 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.

The district: schools, scores and graduation →

Where the district’s money comes from
Local 49%State 36%Federal 15%

Georgia districts overall: 49% local, 39% state, 12% federal.

School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.

Elections · 2024 general election

Darien’s votes are counted by county

Georgia reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Darien alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are McIntosh County’s results.

President · McIntosh County’s results7,408 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican64.1%4,747 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat35.5%2,628 votes

Others: 0.4% (33 votes).

Most votes in McIntosh County: Donald J Trump

Georgia: Trump 50.7%, Harris 48.5%

The county’s page

100% of Darien lies in McIntosh County. Every 2024 race in McIntosh County is on the county’s page.

McIntosh County’s 2024 results →
DemocratRepublicanLibertarianIndependent / other

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.

Who represents Darien

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Darien.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
  2. 2
    Georgia HouseState representatives
  3. 3
    Georgia SenateState senator
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Georgia

Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.

Reach Darien’s government

The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Darien’s government

How much does Darien spend per resident?

About $1,962 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,962 was more than 93% of 243 Georgia cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Darien?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,845 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.07% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.77% across Georgia. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cityofdarienga.com.

Who runs Darien’s government?

See cityofdarienga.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Darien yet.

How did Darien vote in 2024?

Georgia counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Darien alone. McIntosh County, where 100% of Darien lies, voted Trump 64.1%, Harris 35.5% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Darien?

34 full-time and 2 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $115,413 (about $1.4M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Darien in the state legislature?

State Senate District 3 (Mike Hodges) and State House District 167 (Buddy DeLoach). The House district also covers 1 neighboring town. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Darien’s government

Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.

Town Square →
Ask neighbors

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 →