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Big Shanty Village Historic DistrictBig Shanty Village Historic District · Photo: Nilesrob · CC BY-SA 4.0
Town Hall · Kennesaw

Kennesaw spent less per resident in 2022 than 86% of similar cities

Kennesaw’s city government spent $24.7 million on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2023, about $749 per resident.

Town website
Next public meeting

Plan Review Meeting

9:00 am · Council Chambers |, 2529 J.O. Stephenson Avenue

All meetings →
Day-to-day spending, 2023
$24.7M
year to September 30, 2023
Per resident, 2023
$749
In 2022: $680, less than 86% of 22 similar cities
Long-term debt
$23.0M
end of FY2023, reported
City staff, 2025
209
full-time · 12 part-time · March payroll $1.2M
Typical tax bill
$2,630
0.78% of home value · GA 0.77%

What stands out about how Kennesaw is run

Read from the city’s budget, meetings and official records.

Agendas posted online6 upcoming meetings posted, with agendas.Spends less than most similar citiesIn 2022: $680 per resident, less than 86% of 22 similar cities.A shared school districtShares Cobb County School District with 5 other towns.Split between districts2 State House and 2 U.S. House districts cover Kennesaw; your street decides yours.
★ What stands out · Meetings

6 upcoming meetings at town hall

From Kennesaw’s own agenda portal, checked daily. Agendas can change up to the meeting, so check before you go.

Recent meetings

  • Nov4
    Planning CommissionWednesday · 6:30 pm · Council Chambers |, 2529 J.O. Stephenson AvenuePlanning Commission MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
  • Nov2
    City CouncilMonday · 6:30 pm · Council Chambers |, 2529 J.O. Stephenson AvenueCity Council MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
  • Oct29
    Plan Review MeetingThursday · 9:00 am · Council Chambers |, 2529 J.O. Stephenson AvenueCANCELED - Plan Review MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
  • Oct26
    City Council Work SessionMonday · 6:30 pm · Council Chambers |, 2529 J.O. Stephenson AvenueCity Council Work Session Meeting - CANCELEDAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
  • Oct22
    Plan Review MeetingThursday · 9:00 am · Council Chambers |, 2529 J.O. Stephenson AvenuePlan Review Meeting - CANCELEDAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
Go in person

Most meetings are open to the public, and many have a public comment period at the start.

Agenda portal ↗
Your share of the 2023 budget

About $749 per resident a year, or $2.05 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 33%.

Where the money comes from
Property taxes 33%From other local governments 24%Fees & charges 17%Sales taxes 12%Other taxes & licenses 7%Interest, fines & other 5%From the federal government 2%From the state 1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $3.6 million; interest on debt $826,000; payments to other governments $10,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $29.2 million.
Compared with similar places

$680 per resident in 2022: less than 86% of them

Kennesaw’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($680 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 $998, and the middle half spent $764–$1,251. Kennesaw spent less than 86% of them.

Middle half of the group, $764–$1,251Median $998Kennesaw

Includes sewer and trash ($2.3 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 →

The group
22

Georgia cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Kennesaw itself left out).

Over the years

Day-to-day spending is up 5% since 2022

Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Kennesaw reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.

Day-to-day spending by fiscal year

2022$23.6 million
2023$24.7 million

Per resident: 2022: $680 · 2023: $749. Per resident it went from $680 to $749 (up 10%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 34,712 to 33,049.

City staff
209

full-time in March 2025, up from 176 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.

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $2,630 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.78% of the home’s value, vs 0.77% across Georgia.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Kennesaw$2,630
Acworth$2,594
Georgia$2,341
$2,630
typical bill a year
0.78%
effective rate
$335,400
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Kennesaw

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

See kennesaw-ga.gov for Kennesaw’s current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Kennesaw yet.kennesaw-ga.gov ↗
Who works for Kennesaw

One full-time city employee for every 158 residents

On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2023 finance file (33,049).

By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025

Police90 + 3 pt
Administration & buildings45 + 1 pt
Parks & libraries34 + 7 pt
Roads & transportation22
Courts, inspections & corrections3
Other15 + 1 pt
209
full-time
12
part-time
$1.2M
payroll for March 2025
$14.7M
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$69,500
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
67
sworn police officers
Not compared.Staff are compared with the same group as the budget, and Kennesaw’s 2022 budget was a Census estimate, so there is no group to compare with.

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

Cobb County School District

Kennesaw’s K–12 school district, shared with Acworth, Mableton, Powder Springs, Smyrna, Austell. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Kennesaw →
$16,151
per pupil · GA $15,800
106,358
students
None
long-term debt

Of the $16,151 per pupil, $10,598 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 57%State 36%Federal 7%

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

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Kennesaw’s votes are counted by county

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

President · Cobb County’s results401,369 votes · results as certified
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat56.9%228,404 votes
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican42.0%168,679 votes

Others: 1.1% (4,286 votes).

Most votes in Cobb County: Kamala D Harris

Georgia: Trump 50.7%, Harris 48.5%

The county’s page

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

Cobb 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 Kennesaw

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Kennesaw.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Officials: kennesaw-ga.gov ↗
  2. 2
    Georgia HouseKennesaw is split between 2 districts
    Lisa CampbellDevan Seabaugh
  3. 3
    Georgia SenateState senator
    Ed Setzler
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
    Brian Kemp
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseSplit between districts
    Clay FullerBarry Loudermilk
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Georgia
    Jon OssoffRaphael G. Warnock
Find your state legislators by address ↗Find your House district by ZIP code ↗

Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.

Next door

How Kennesaw compares with the towns next door

Kennesaw spent $680 per resident in 2022; the neighbor that reported 2022 spent $1,048. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.

Acworth: $1,048 per resident (2022)AcworthKennesaw
Spends the leastSpends the mostEstimate or no figures
TownDay-to-day, per resident (2022)Tax bill
Acworth$1,048$2,594
Kennesaw$680$2,630

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 Kennesaw’s government

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

The Handbook →
Official websitekennesaw-ga.gov ↗

Questions about Kennesaw’s government

How much does Kennesaw spend per resident?

About $749 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2023, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $680 was less than 86% of 22 Georgia cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Kennesaw?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,630 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.78% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.77% across Georgia. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see kennesaw-ga.gov.

Who runs Kennesaw’s government?

See kennesaw-ga.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Kennesaw yet.

How did Kennesaw vote in 2024?

Georgia counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Kennesaw alone. Cobb County, where 100% of Kennesaw lies, voted Harris 56.9%, Trump 42.0% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Kennesaw?

209 full-time and 12 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $1.2M (about $14.7M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Kennesaw in the state legislature?

Kennesaw is split among 2 State House districts, so your address decides. The Georgia Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Its State Senate district is District 37 (Ed Setzler). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

When is the next public meeting in Kennesaw?

The next posted meeting is Plan Review Meeting on Thursday, November 5, at 9:00 am in Council Chambers |, 2529 J.O. Stephenson Avenue, from the city’s own agenda portal.

Ask neighbors about Kennesaw’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 →