Photo: Bellemare · CC BY-SA 3.0Garden City spent more per resident in 2022 than 77% of similar cities
Garden City’s city government spent $13.6 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $1,476 per resident. Water and other utilities ($784,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Garden City is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,476 per resident in 2022: more than 77% of them
Garden City’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,476 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 $1,116, and the middle half spent $820–$1,437. Garden City spent more than 77% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($2 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; Garden City itself left out).
About $1,476 per resident a year, or $4.04 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 31%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Garden City reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $1,116 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.66% 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 Garden City’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 Garden City’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Garden City →
Who’s in charge in Garden City
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Garden City’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on gardencityga.org ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 90 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 (9,213).
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.
Chatham County School District
Garden City’s K–12 school district, shared with Bloomingdale, Pooler, Port Wentworth, Savannah, Thunderbolt and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $17,758 per pupil, $10,228 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.
Garden City’s votes are counted by county
Georgia reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Garden City alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Chatham County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat58.6%82,758 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican40.6%57,336 votesOthers: 0.7% (1,015 votes).
Most votes in Chatham County: Kamala D Harris
Georgia: Trump 50.7%, Harris 48.5%
100% of Garden City lies in Chatham County. Every 2024 race in Chatham County is on the county’s page.
Chatham 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 Garden City.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: gardencityga.org ↗
- 2Georgia HouseGarden City is split between 3 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 Garden City compares with the towns next door
Garden City spent $1,476 per resident in 2022; the 2 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $1,624 to $2,149. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Port Wentworth | $1,624 | $1,629 |
| Savannah | $2,149 | $2,040 |
| Garden City | $1,476 | $1,116 |
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 Garden City’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Garden City’s government
How much does Garden City spend per resident?
About $1,476 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 $1,476 was more than 77% of 105 Georgia cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Garden City?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,116 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.66% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.77% across Georgia. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see gardencityga.org.
Who runs Garden City’s government?
See gardencityga.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Garden City yet.
How did Garden City vote in 2024?
Georgia counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Garden City alone. Chatham County, where 100% of Garden City lies, voted Harris 58.6%, Trump 40.6% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Garden City?
102 full-time and 19 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $486,262 (about $5.8M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Garden City in the state legislature?
Garden City is split among 3 State House districts, so your address decides. The Georgia Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Its State Senate district is District 2 (Derek Mallow). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Garden City’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 →