Charlton County Courthouse · Photo: Bubba73 (Jud McCranie) · CC BY-SA 3.0Folkston spent less per resident in 2022 than 95% of similar cities
Folkston’s city government spent $2.6 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $506 per resident. Water and other utilities ($889,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Folkston is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$506 per resident in 2022: less than 95% of them
Folkston’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($506 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 105 Georgia cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,117, and the middle half spent $826–$1,467. Folkston spent less than 95% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($1.1 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 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Folkston itself left out).
About $506 per resident a year, or $1.39 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 42%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Folkston reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $966 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.24% 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 Folkston’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 Folkston’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Folkston →
Who’s in charge in Folkston
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Folkston’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on folkston.com ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 210 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 (5,043).
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.
Charlton County School District
Folkston’s K–12 school district, shared with Homeland. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $14,829 per pupil, $8,802 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.
Folkston’s votes are counted by county
Georgia reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Folkston alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Charlton County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican77.9%3,607 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat21.8%1,007 votesOthers: 0.3% (14 votes).
Most votes in Charlton County: Donald J Trump
Georgia: Trump 50.7%, Harris 48.5%
100% of Folkston lies in Charlton County. Every 2024 race in Charlton County is on the county’s page.
Charlton 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 Folkston.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: folkston.com ↗
- 2Georgia HouseState representatives
- 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 Folkston compares with the towns next door
Folkston spent $506 per resident in 2022; the neighbor that reported 2022 spent $687. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Homeland | $687 | — |
| Folkston | $506 | $966 |
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 Folkston’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Folkston’s government
How much does Folkston spend per resident?
About $506 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 $506 was less than 95% of 105 Georgia cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Folkston?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $966 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.24% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.77% across Georgia. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see folkston.com.
Who runs Folkston’s government?
See folkston.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Folkston yet.
How did Folkston vote in 2024?
Georgia counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Folkston alone. Charlton County, where 100% of Folkston lies, voted Trump 77.9%, Harris 21.8% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Folkston?
24 full-time and 6 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $96,383 (about $1.2M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Folkston in the state legislature?
State Senate District 3 (Mike Hodges) and State House District 174 (John Corbett). The House district also covers 11 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Folkston’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 →