Fort James Jackson · Photo: MArcin K. · CC BY-SA 3.0Savannah spent more per resident in 2022 than 94% of similar cities
Savannah’s city government spent $358 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, about $2,419 per resident. Water and other utilities ($31.3 million) and the airport ($37.9 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Savannah is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
Who’s in charge in Savannah
From public records with a current term; a name is hidden the day its term ends.
Council members and agencies: savannahga.gov ↗
Savannah’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on savannahga.gov ↗.
About $2,419 per resident a year, or $6.63 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 24%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$2,149 per resident in 2022: more than 94% of them
Savannah’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($2,149 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 431 Georgia cities that don’t run their own schools: the median was $898, and the middle half spent $550–$1,287. Savannah spent more than 94% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($72.8 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 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Savannah itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is up 16% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Savannah 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: $2,149 · 2023: $2,455 · 2024: $2,419.
full-time in March 2025, up from 2,233 in 2022.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $2,040 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.82% 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 Savannah’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 Savannah’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Savannah →
One full-time city employee for every 61 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (148,004).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025
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
Savannah’s K–12 school district, shared with Bloomingdale, Garden City, Pooler, Port Wentworth, 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.
Savannah’s votes are counted by county
Georgia reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Savannah 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 Savannah 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
Savannah sends 6 representatives to the Georgia House alone.
- 1Your cityMayorVan R. Johnson IIas listed by Open States, October 9, 2026
- 2Georgia HouseSavannah is split between 6 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 Savannah compares with the towns next door
No neighbor is close in size, so the comparison above uses Georgia cities that don’t run their own schools. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Pooler | $1,153 | $2,866 |
| Vernonburg | $1,220 | $5,000 |
| Garden City | $1,476 | $1,116 |
| Thunderbolt | $1,506 | $3,316 |
| Port Wentworth | $1,624 | $1,629 |
| Bloomingdale | estimate | $1,474 |
| Savannah | $2,149 | $2,040 |
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 Savannah’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Savannah’s government
How much does Savannah spend per resident?
About $2,419 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 $2,149 was more than 94% of 431 Georgia cities that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Savannah?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,040 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.82% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.77% across Georgia. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see savannahga.gov.
Who is the mayor of Savannah?
Van R. Johnson II, as listed by Open States (checked October 9, 2026). The council and agencies are listed on savannahga.gov.
How did Savannah vote in 2024?
Georgia counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Savannah alone. Chatham County, where 100% of Savannah lies, voted Harris 58.6%, Trump 40.6% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Savannah?
2,420 full-time and 68 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $15.5M (about $186.4M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Savannah in the state legislature?
Savannah is split among 6 State House districts and 3 State Senate districts, so your address decides. The Georgia Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Savannah’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 →