Pine Lake spent more per resident in 2022 than 80% of similar cities
Pine Lake’s city government spent $914,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $1,220 per resident.
What stands out about how Pine Lake is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,220 per resident in 2022: more than 80% of them
Pine Lake’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,220 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 243 Georgia cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $696, and the middle half spent $428–$1,060. Pine Lake spent more than 80% of them.
Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Georgia cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Pine Lake itself left out).
About $1,220 per resident a year, or $3.34 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 36%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Pine Lake reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $3,745 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.26% 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 Pine Lake’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. In a town this small the estimate has a wide margin.
Tax bills are one input to Pine Lake’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Pine Lake →
Who’s in charge in Pine Lake
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Pine Lake’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on pinelakega.com ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 107 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 (749).
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.
DeKalb County School District
Pine Lake’s K–12 school district, shared with Avondale Estates, Brookhaven, Chamblee, Clarkston, Lithonia and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $17,739 per pupil, $10,348 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.
Pine Lake’s votes are counted by county
Georgia reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Pine Lake alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are DeKalb County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat81.9%299,630 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican17.1%62,622 votesOthers: 1.0% (3,756 votes).
Most votes in DeKalb County: Kamala D Harris
Georgia: Trump 50.7%, Harris 48.5%
100% of Pine Lake lies in DeKalb County. Every 2024 race in DeKalb County is on the county’s page.
DeKalb 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 Pine Lake.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: pinelakega.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.
Reach Pine Lake’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Pine Lake’s government
How much does Pine Lake spend per resident?
About $1,220 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 $1,220 was more than 80% of 243 Georgia cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Pine Lake?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,745 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.26% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.77% across Georgia. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see pinelakega.com.
Who runs Pine Lake’s government?
See pinelakega.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Pine Lake yet.
How did Pine Lake vote in 2024?
Georgia counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Pine Lake alone. DeKalb County, where 100% of Pine Lake lies, voted Harris 81.9%, Trump 17.1% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Pine Lake?
7 full-time and 3 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $30,700 (about $368,400 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Pine Lake in the state legislature?
State Senate District 41 (Kim Jackson) and State House District 87 (Viola Davis). The House district also covers parts of two neighboring towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Pine Lake’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 →