Photo: Michael Rivera · CC BY-SA 4.0Port Wentworth spent more per resident in 2022 than 84% of similar cities
Port Wentworth’s city government spent $22.5 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $1,820 per resident. Water and other utilities ($2.5 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Port Wentworth is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,624 per resident in 2022: more than 84% of them
Port Wentworth’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,624 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. Port Wentworth spent more than 84% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($4.4 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; Port Wentworth itself left out).
About $1,820 per resident a year, or $4.99 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 31%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 41% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Port Wentworth 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: $1,624 · 2024: $1,820. Per resident it went from $1,624 to $1,820 (up 12%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 9,812 to 12,347.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $1,629 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.71% 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 Port Wentworth’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 Port Wentworth’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Port Wentworth →
Who’s in charge in Port Wentworth
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Port Wentworth’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on cityofportwentworth.com ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 162 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 (12,347).
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
Port Wentworth’s K–12 school district, shared with Bloomingdale, Garden City, Pooler, 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.
Port Wentworth’s votes are counted by county
Georgia reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Port Wentworth 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 Port Wentworth 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 Port Wentworth.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: cityofportwentworth.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.
How Port Wentworth compares with the towns next door
Port Wentworth spent $1,624 per resident in 2022; the 2 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $1,476 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Garden City | $1,476 | $1,116 |
| Savannah | $2,149 | $2,040 |
| Port Wentworth | $1,624 | $1,629 |
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 Port Wentworth’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Port Wentworth’s government
How much does Port Wentworth spend per resident?
About $1,820 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,624 was more than 84% of 105 Georgia cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Port Wentworth?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,629 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.71% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.77% across Georgia. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cityofportwentworth.com.
Who runs Port Wentworth’s government?
See cityofportwentworth.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Port Wentworth yet.
How did Port Wentworth vote in 2024?
Georgia counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Port Wentworth alone. Chatham County, where 100% of Port Wentworth lies, voted Harris 58.6%, Trump 40.6% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Port Wentworth?
76 full-time and 2 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $509,459 (about $6.1M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Port Wentworth in the state legislature?
State Senate District 2 (Derek Mallow) and State House District 161 (Bill Hitchens). The House district also covers four other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Port Wentworth’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 →