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Pelham City HallPhoto: Michael Rivera · CC BY-SA 3.0
Town Hall · Pelham

Pelham spent more per resident in 2022 than 69% of similar cities

Pelham’s city government spent $4.4 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $1,300 per resident. Water and other utilities ($896,000) are counted separately.

Town website
Election Day

Tomorrow

General election in Georgia.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$4.4M
year to June 30, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$1,300
In 2022: $1,300, more than 69% of 105 similar cities
Long-term debt
$3.1M
end of FY2022, reported
City staff, 2022
34
full-time · 10 part-time · March payroll $137,171
Typical tax bill
$1,280
1.36% of home value · GA 0.77%

What stands out about how Pelham is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

Spends more than most similar citiesIn 2022: $1,300 per resident, more than 69% of 105 similar cities.Runs its own water & sewer33% of day-to-day spending goes to water, sewer and trash (2022).Its own police and fire8 sworn officers and 6 full-time firefighters on the payroll.Low bills, a higher rateThe typical bill is $1,280 a year: 1.36% of the home’s value, vs 0.77% across Georgia.
Compared with similar places

$1,300 per resident in 2022: more than 69% of them

Pelham’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,300 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–$1,467. Pelham spent more than 69% of them.

Middle half of the group, $820–$1,467Median $1,116Pelham

Includes sewer and trash ($842,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →

The group
105

Georgia cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Pelham itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $1,300 per resident a year, or $3.56 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 25%.

Where the money comes from
Fees & charges 23%Property taxes 17%Interest, fines & other 15%Utility sales 15%Sales taxes 10%From the state 9%From other local governments 7%From the federal government 2%Other taxes & licenses 2%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $533,000; interest on debt $138,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $6 million.
Over the years

No trend yet

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

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $1,280 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.36% of the home’s value, vs 0.77% across Georgia.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Georgia$2,341
Pelham$1,280
$1,280
typical bill a year
1.36%
effective rate
$93,800
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Pelham

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

See cityofpelhamga.com for Pelham’s current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Pelham yet.cityofpelhamga.com ↗
Agendas

Pelham’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on cityofpelhamga.com ↗.

Who works for Pelham

One full-time city employee for every 100 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 (3,408).

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

Police10 + 3 pt
Fire6 + 4 pt
Roads & transportation5 + 1 pt
Administration & buildings5
Water & other utilities5
Sewer & trash0 + 2 pt
Other3
34
full-time
10
part-time
$137,171
payroll for March 2022
$1.6M
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$44,800
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
8
sworn police officers
6
full-time firefighters
Compared, 2022.Pelham had 10.0 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 89 of the 105 Georgia cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 9.5: Pelham had more than 55% 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

Pelham City School District

Pelham’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Pelham →
$14,787
per pupil · GA $15,800
1,316
students
$5.5 million
long-term debt

Of the $14,787 per pupil, $8,726 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 15%State 69%Federal 16%

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

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Pelham’s votes are counted by county

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

President · Mitchell County’s results8,877 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican58.0%5,150 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat41.7%3,701 votes

Others: 0.3% (26 votes).

Most votes in Mitchell County: Donald J Trump

Georgia: Trump 50.7%, Harris 48.5%

The county’s page

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

Mitchell 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 Pelham

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Pelham.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Officials: cityofpelhamga.com ↗
  2. 2
    Georgia HouseState representatives
    Joe Campbell
  3. 3
    Georgia SenateState senator
    Freddie Sims
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
    Brian Kemp
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
    Sanford D. Bishop, Jr.
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Georgia
    Jon OssoffRaphael G. Warnock

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

Reach Pelham’s government

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

The Handbook →
Official websitecityofpelhamga.com ↗

Questions about Pelham’s government

How much does Pelham spend per resident?

About $1,300 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,300 was more than 69% of 105 Georgia cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Pelham?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,280 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.36% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.77% across Georgia. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cityofpelhamga.com.

Who runs Pelham’s government?

See cityofpelhamga.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Pelham yet.

How did Pelham vote in 2024?

Georgia counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Pelham alone. Mitchell County, where 100% of Pelham lies, voted Trump 58.0%, Harris 41.7% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Pelham?

34 full-time and 10 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $137,171 (about $1.6M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Pelham in the state legislature?

State Senate District 12 (Freddie Sims) and State House District 171 (Joe Campbell). The House district also covers nine other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Pelham’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 →