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Pyle-Davis HousePyle-Davis House · Photo: Melsner4 · CC BY-SA 3.0
Town Hall · Demorest

Demorest spent more per resident in 2022 than 76% of similar cities

Demorest’s city government spent $2.4 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $1,103 per resident.

Town website
Election Day

Today

General election in Georgia.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$2.4M
year to December 31, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$1,103
In 2022: $1,103, more than 76% of 243 similar cities
Long-term debt
$9.4M
end of 2022, reported
City staff, 2022
33
full-time · 6 part-time · March payroll $118,163
Typical tax bill
$1,396
0.60% of home value · GA 0.77%

What stands out about how Demorest is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

Compared with similar places

$1,103 per resident in 2022: more than 76% of them

Demorest’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,103 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. Demorest spent more than 76% of them.

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

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; Demorest itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $1,103 per resident a year, or $3.02 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 49%.

Where the money comes from
Utility sales 48%Fees & charges 36%From other local governments 4%Property taxes 4%Sales taxes 3%Interest, fines & other 3%From the federal government 1%From the state 1%Other taxes & licenses <1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $202,000; interest on debt $271,000. With these, the whole budget was $2.8 million.
Over the years

No trend yet

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

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $1,396 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.60% of the home’s value, vs 0.77% across Georgia.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Georgia$2,341
Demorest$1,396
$1,396
typical bill a year
0.60%
effective rate
$232,600
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Demorest

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

See cityofdemorest.org for Demorest’s current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Demorest yet.cityofdemorest.org ↗
Agendas

Demorest’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on cityofdemorest.org ↗.

Who works for Demorest

One full-time city employee for every 65 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 (2,143).

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

Water & other utilities12
Police7 + 1 pt
Fire4 + 5 pt
Administration & buildings5
Roads & transportation3
Sewer & trash2
33
full-time
6
part-time
$118,163
payroll for March 2022
$1.4M
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$39,800
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
7
sworn police officers
4
full-time firefighters
Compared, 2022.Demorest had 15.4 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: Demorest had more than 88% 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

Habersham County School District

Demorest’s K–12 school district, shared with Clarkesville, Cornelia, Mount Airy, Baldwin, Tallulah Falls and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Demorest →
$15,768
per pupil · GA $15,800
7,177
students
None
long-term debt

Of the $15,768 per pupil, $9,614 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 39%State 50%Federal 11%

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

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Demorest’s votes are counted by county

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

President · Habersham County’s results23,280 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican82.2%19,142 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat17.3%4,036 votes

Others: 0.4% (102 votes).

Most votes in Habersham County: Donald J Trump

Georgia: Trump 50.7%, Harris 48.5%

The county’s page

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

Habersham 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 Demorest

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Demorest.

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 Demorest’s government

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

The Handbook →

Questions about Demorest’s government

How much does Demorest spend per resident?

About $1,103 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,103 was more than 76% of 243 Georgia cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Demorest?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,396 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.60% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.77% across Georgia. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cityofdemorest.org.

Who runs Demorest’s government?

See cityofdemorest.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Demorest yet.

How did Demorest vote in 2024?

Georgia counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Demorest alone. Habersham County, where 100% of Demorest lies, voted Trump 82.2%, Harris 17.3% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Demorest?

33 full-time and 6 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $118,163 (about $1.4M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Demorest in the state legislature?

State Senate District 50 (Bo Hatchett) and State House District 10 (Victor Anderson). The House district also covers 10 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Demorest’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 →