Jefferson Historic District · Photo: Hhoschton · CC BY-SA 3.0Jefferson spent less per resident in 2022 than 100% of similar cities
Jefferson’s city government spent $20.6 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, about $1,346 per resident. Water and other utilities ($4.9 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Jefferson is run
Read from the city’s budget, meetings and official records.
6 upcoming meetings at town hall
From Jefferson’s own agenda portal, checked daily. Agendas can change up to the meeting, so check before you go.
- Nov9City CouncilMonday · 6:00 pm · 1000 Washington StreetCity Council Working SessionMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov23City CouncilMonday · 6:00 pm · Jefferson Station Washington StreetVoting SessionMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Dec14City CouncilMonday · 6:00 pm · 1000 Washington StreetCity Council Working SessionMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Dec28City CouncilMonday · 6:00 pm · Jefferson Station Washington StreetVoting SessionMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Jan11City CouncilMonday · 6:00 pm · 1000 Washington StreetCity Council Working SessionMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Jan25City CouncilMonday · 6:00 pm · Jefferson Station Washington StreetVoting SessionMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
Recent meetings
- Oct26City CouncilMonday · 6:00 pm · Jefferson Station Washington StreetVoting SessionMeeting page ↗
- Oct12City CouncilMonday · 6:00 pm · 1000 Washington StreetCity Council Working SessionMeeting page ↗
- Sep28City CouncilMonday · 6:00 pm · Jefferson Station Washington StreetVoting SessionMeeting page ↗
- Sep14City CouncilMonday · 6:00 pm · 1000 Washington StreetCity Council Working SessionMeeting page ↗
- Aug24City CouncilMonday · 6:00 pm · Jefferson Station Washington StreetVoting SessionMeeting page ↗
Most meetings are open to the public, and many have a public comment period at the start.
Agenda portal ↗About $1,346 per resident a year, or $3.69 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 39%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$321 per resident in 2022: less than 100% of them
Jefferson’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($321 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 42 Georgia cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,183, and the middle half spent $942–$1,687. Jefferson spent less than 100% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($738,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Georgia cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Jefferson itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is up 413% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Jefferson 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: $321 · 2024: $1,346. Per resident it went from $321 to $1,346 (up 319%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 12,490 to 15,286.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $3,491 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.93% 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 Jefferson’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 Jefferson’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Jefferson →
Who’s in charge in Jefferson
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time city employee for every 222 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (15,286).
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.
Jefferson City School District
Jefferson’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $12,625 per pupil, $8,716 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.
Jefferson’s votes are counted by county
Georgia reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Jefferson alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Jackson County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican77.3%36,497 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat22.2%10,472 votesOthers: 0.6% (274 votes).
Most votes in Jackson County: Donald J Trump
Georgia: Trump 50.7%, Harris 48.5%
100% of Jefferson lies in Jackson County. Every 2024 race in Jackson County is on the county’s page.
Jackson 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 Jefferson.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: cityofjeffersonga.com ↗
- 2Georgia HouseJefferson 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 Jefferson compares with the towns next door
Jefferson spent $321 per resident in 2022; the 2 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $452 to $1,752. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Arcade | $452 | $1,491 |
| Pendergrass | $1,752 | $3,478 |
| Jefferson | $321 | $3,491 |
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 Jefferson’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Jefferson’s government
How much does Jefferson spend per resident?
About $1,346 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $321 was less than 100% of 42 Georgia cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Jefferson?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,491 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.93% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.77% across Georgia. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cityofjeffersonga.com.
Who runs Jefferson’s government?
See cityofjeffersonga.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Jefferson yet.
How did Jefferson vote in 2024?
Georgia counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Jefferson alone. Jackson County, where 100% of Jefferson lies, voted Trump 77.3%, Harris 22.2% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Jefferson?
69 full-time and 64 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $350,079 (about $4.2M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Jefferson in the state legislature?
Jefferson is split among 2 State House districts and 2 State Senate districts, so your address decides. The Georgia Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
When is the next public meeting in Jefferson?
The next posted meeting is City Council on Monday, November 9, at 6:00 pm in 1000 Washington Street, from the city’s own agenda portal.
Ask neighbors about Jefferson’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 →