Thunderbolt spent more per resident in 2022 than 79% of similar cities
Thunderbolt’s town government spent $3.9 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $1,506 per resident. Water and other utilities ($369,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Thunderbolt is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$1,506 per resident in 2022: more than 79% of them
Thunderbolt’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,506 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. Thunderbolt spent more than 79% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($1.2 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; Thunderbolt itself left out).
About $1,506 per resident a year, or $4.13 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 31%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Thunderbolt reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $3,316 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.99% 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 Thunderbolt’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 Thunderbolt’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Thunderbolt →
Who’s in charge in Thunderbolt
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time town employee for every 90 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 (2,601).
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
Thunderbolt’s K–12 school district, shared with Bloomingdale, Garden City, Pooler, Port Wentworth, Savannah 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.
Thunderbolt’s votes are counted by county
Georgia reports official results by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Thunderbolt 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 Thunderbolt 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 Thunderbolt.
- 1Your townTown governmentLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 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 Thunderbolt compares with the towns next door
Thunderbolt spent $1,506 per resident in 2022; the neighbor that reported 2022 spent $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 |
|---|---|---|
| Savannah | $2,149 | $2,040 |
| Thunderbolt | $1,506 | $3,316 |
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 Thunderbolt’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Thunderbolt’s government
How much does Thunderbolt spend per resident?
About $1,506 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 $1,506 was more than 79% of 105 Georgia cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Thunderbolt?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,316 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.99% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.77% across Georgia. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the town’s assessor.
Who runs Thunderbolt’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Thunderbolt yet.
How did Thunderbolt vote in 2024?
Georgia counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Thunderbolt alone. Chatham County, where 100% of Thunderbolt lies, voted Harris 58.6%, Trump 40.6% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Thunderbolt?
29 full-time and 0 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $126,754 (about $1.5M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Thunderbolt in the state legislature?
State Senate District 2 (Derek Mallow) and State House District 165 (Edna Jackson). The House district also covers parts of 1 neighboring town. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Thunderbolt’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 →