Photo: Lincolnh · CC BY-SA 3.0Decatur spent more per resident in 2022 than 77% of similar cities
Decatur’s city government spent $42.2 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $1,734 per resident.
What stands out about how Decatur is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,284 per resident in 2022: more than 77% of them
Decatur’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,284 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. Decatur spent more than 77% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($2.9 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; Decatur itself left out).
About $1,734 per resident a year, or $4.75 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 28%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 28% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Decatur 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: $1,284 · 2023: $1,489 · 2024: $1,734. Per resident it went from $1,284 to $1,734 (up 35%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 25,655 to 24,338.
full-time in March 2025, up from 272 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 $9,295 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.33% 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 Decatur’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 Decatur’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Decatur →
Who’s in charge in Decatur
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Decatur’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on decaturga.com ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 83 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 (24,338).
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.
Decatur City School District
Decatur’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $19,019 per pupil, $11,218 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.
Decatur’s votes are counted by county
Georgia reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Decatur alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are DeKalb County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat81.9%299,630 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican17.1%62,622 votesOthers: 1.0% (3,756 votes).
Most votes in DeKalb County: Kamala D Harris
Georgia: Trump 50.7%, Harris 48.5%
100% of Decatur lies in DeKalb County. Every 2024 race in DeKalb County is on the county’s page.
DeKalb 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 Decatur.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: decaturga.com ↗
- 2Georgia HouseDecatur 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 Decatur compares with the towns next door
Decatur spent $1,284 per resident in 2022; the 2 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $1,434 to $1,654. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Avondale Estates | $1,434 | $6,661 |
| Atlanta | $1,654 | $4,231 |
| Decatur | $1,284 | $9,295 |
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 Decatur’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Decatur’s government
How much does Decatur spend per resident?
About $1,734 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 $1,284 was more than 77% of 22 Georgia cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Decatur?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $9,295 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.33% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.77% across Georgia. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see decaturga.com.
Who runs Decatur’s government?
See decaturga.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Decatur yet.
How did Decatur vote in 2024?
Georgia counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Decatur alone. DeKalb County, where 100% of Decatur lies, voted Harris 81.9%, Trump 17.1% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Decatur?
293 full-time and 159 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $1.9M (about $22.6M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Decatur in the state legislature?
Decatur is split among 2 State House districts, so your address decides. The Georgia Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Its State Senate district is District 44 (Elena Parent). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Decatur’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 →