Thomas E. Watson House · Photo: Michelle Zupan · CC BY-SA 4.0Thomson spent less per resident in 2022 than 68% of similar cities
Thomson’s city government spent $5.9 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $919 per resident. Water and other utilities ($7.3 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Thomson is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$919 per resident in 2022: less than 68% of them
Thomson’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($919 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 $1,117, and the middle half spent $820–$1,467. Thomson spent less than 68% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($1.3 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 →
Georgia cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Thomson itself left out).
About $919 per resident a year, or $2.52 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 22%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Thomson reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $1,565 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.97% 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 Thomson’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 Thomson’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Thomson →
Who’s in charge in Thomson
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Thomson’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on thomson-mcduffie.com/citycounty ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 77 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (6,463).
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.
McDuffie County School District
Thomson’s K–12 school district, shared with Dearing. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $16,256 per pupil, $8,582 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.
Thomson’s votes are counted by county
Georgia reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Thomson alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are McDuffie County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican62.3%6,562 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat37.4%3,937 votesOthers: 0.4% (38 votes).
Most votes in McDuffie County: Donald J Trump
Georgia: Trump 50.7%, Harris 48.5%
100% of Thomson lies in McDuffie County. Every 2024 race in McDuffie County is on the county’s page.
McDuffie 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 Thomson.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: thomson-mcduffie.com/citycounty ↗
- 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 Thomson’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Thomson’s government
How much does Thomson spend per resident?
About $919 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 $919 was less than 68% of 105 Georgia cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Thomson?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,565 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.97% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.77% across Georgia. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see thomson-mcduffie.com/citycounty.
Who runs Thomson’s government?
See thomson-mcduffie.com/citycounty for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Thomson yet.
How did Thomson vote in 2024?
Georgia counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Thomson alone. McDuffie County, where 100% of Thomson lies, voted Trump 62.3%, Harris 37.4% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Thomson?
84 full-time and 9 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $346,827 (about $4.2M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Thomson in the state legislature?
State Senate District 23 (Max Burns) and State House District 128 (Mack Jackson). The House district also covers 14 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Thomson’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 →