Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to Wrens

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
Town Hall · Wrens

Wrens spent more per resident in 2022 than 83% of similar cities

Wrens’ city government spent $2.5 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $1,288 per resident. Water and other utilities ($1.7 million) are counted separately.

Town website
Election Day

Today

General election in Georgia.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$2.5M
year to December 31, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$1,288
In 2022: $1,288, more than 83% of 243 similar cities
Long-term debt
$3.0M
end of 2022, reported
City staff, 2022
24
full-time · 7 part-time · March payroll $98,839
Typical tax bill
$1,208
0.98% of home value · GA 0.77%

What stands out about how Wrens is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

Compared with similar places

$1,288 per resident in 2022: more than 83% of them

Wrens’ day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,288 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. Wrens spent more than 83% of them.

Middle half of the group, $428–$1,060Median $696Wrens

Includes sewer and trash ($247,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →

The group
243

Georgia cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Wrens itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $1,288 per resident a year, or $3.53 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 35%.

Where the money comes from
Utility sales 47%Fees & charges 13%From other local governments 13%Property taxes 10%Interest, fines & other 7%Sales taxes 6%From the state 1%Other taxes & licenses 1%From the federal government 1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $266,000; interest on debt $86,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $4.5 million.
Over the years

No trend yet

Wrens reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $1,208 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.98% of the home’s value, vs 0.77% across Georgia.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Georgia$2,341
Wrens$1,208
$1,208
typical bill a year
0.98%
effective rate
$123,400
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Wrens’ 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 Wrens’ Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Wrens →

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Wrens

Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.

See cityofwrens.com for Wrens’ current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Wrens yet.cityofwrens.com ↗
Agendas

Wrens’ meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on cityofwrens.com ↗.

Who works for Wrens

One full-time city employee for every 80 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 (1,924).

By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022

Administration & buildings11 + 5 pt
Police9 + 2 pt
Fire4
24
full-time
7
part-time
$98,839
payroll for March 2022
$1.2M
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$45,700
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
9
sworn police officers
4
full-time firefighters
Compared, 2022.Wrens had 12.5 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 203 of the 243 Georgia cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 5.5: Wrens had more than 84% of them. Same group and year as the budget comparison.

The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.

The school district

Jefferson County School District

Wrens’ K–12 school district, shared with Avera, Bartow, Louisville, Stapleton, Wadley. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Wrens →
$16,007
per pupil · GA $15,800
2,034
students
$3 million
long-term debt

Of the $16,007 per pupil, $8,857 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.

The district: schools, scores and graduation →

Where the district’s money comes from
Local 31%State 39%Federal 30%

Georgia districts overall: 49% local, 39% state, 12% federal.

School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.

Elections · 2024 general election

Wrens’ votes are counted by county

Georgia reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Wrens alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Jefferson County’s results.

President · Jefferson County’s results7,463 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican50.4%3,765 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat49.2%3,674 votes

Others: 0.3% (24 votes).

Most votes in Jefferson County: Donald J Trump

Georgia: Trump 50.7%, Harris 48.5%

The county’s page

100% of Wrens lies in Jefferson County. Every 2024 race in Jefferson County is on the county’s page.

Jefferson County’s 2024 results →
DemocratRepublicanLibertarianIndependent / other

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.

Who represents Wrens

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Wrens.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
  2. 2
    Georgia HouseState representatives
  3. 3
    Georgia SenateState senator
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Georgia

Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.

Reach Wrens’ government

The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Wrens’ government

How much does Wrens spend per resident?

About $1,288 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 $1,288 was more than 83% of 243 Georgia cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Wrens?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,208 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.98% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.77% across Georgia. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cityofwrens.com.

Who runs Wrens’ government?

See cityofwrens.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Wrens yet.

How did Wrens vote in 2024?

Georgia counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Wrens alone. Jefferson County, where 100% of Wrens lies, voted Trump 50.4%, Harris 49.2% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Wrens?

24 full-time and 7 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $98,839 (about $1.2M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Wrens in the state legislature?

State Senate District 23 (Max Burns) and State House District 132 (Brian Prince). The House district also covers six other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Wrens’ government

Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.

Town Square →
Ask neighbors

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 →