Photo: Townofbluffton · CC BY-SA 3.0Bluffton spent less per resident in 2022 than 77% of similar cities
Bluffton’s town government spent $27.9 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $808 per resident.
Historic Preservation Review Committee
4:00 pm · Theodore D. Washington Municipal Building, Henry “Emmett” McCracken Jr. Council Chambers, 20 Bridge Street
All meetings →What stands out about how Bluffton is run
Read from the town’s budget, meetings and official records.
6 upcoming meetings at town hall
From Bluffton’s own agenda portal, checked daily. Agendas can change up to the meeting, so check before you go.
- Nov2Historic Preservation Review CommitteeMonday · 4:00 pm · Theodore D. Washington Municipal Building, Henry “Emmett” McCracken Jr. Council Chambers, 20 Bridge StreetHistoric Preservation Review Committee MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov2Historic Preservation CommissionMonday · 4:00 pmHistoric Preservation Review Committee MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov3Board of Zoning AppealsTuesday · 6:00 pm · Theodore D. Washington Municipal Building, Henry “Emmett” McCracken Jr. Council Chambers, 20 Bridge StreetMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov4Development Review CommitteeWednesday · 1:00 pm · Theodore D. Washington Municipal Building, Henry “Emmett” McCracken Jr. Council Chambers, 20 Bridge StreetDevelopment Review Committee MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov4Historic Preservation CommissionWednesday · 6:00 pm · Theodore D. Washington Municipal Building, Henry “Emmett” McCracken Jr. Council Chambers, 20 Bridge StreetHistoric Preservation Commission MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov5Affordable Housing CommitteeThursday · 10:00 am · Theodore D. Washington Municipal Building, Henry “Emmett” McCracken Jr. Council Chambers, 20 Bridge StreetAffordable Housing Committee MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
Recent meetings
- Oct28GeneralWednesday · 6:00 pm · Theodore D. Washington Municipal Building, Henry “Emmett” McCracken Jr. Council Chambers, 20 Bridge StreetPlanning Commission MeetingMeeting page ↗
- Oct28Planning CommissionWednesday · 6:00 pmPlanning Commission MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Oct28GeneralWednesday · 1:00 pm · Theodore D. Washington Municipal Building, Henry “Emmett” McCracken Jr. Council Chambers, 20 Bridge StreetDevelopment Review Committee MeetingMeeting page ↗
- Oct27GeneralTuesday · 6:00 pm · Theodore D. Washington Municipal Building, Henry “Emmett” McCracken Jr. Council Chambers, 20 Bridge StreetConstruction Board of Adjustments and Appeals MeetingMeeting page ↗
- Oct27Construction Board of Adjustments and AppealsTuesday · 6:00 pmConstruction Board of Adjustments and Appeals Meeting - CANCELEDAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
Most meetings are open to the public, and many have a public comment period at the start.
Agenda portal ↗About $808 per resident a year, or $2.21 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 37%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$783 per resident in 2022: less than 77% of them
Bluffton’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($783 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 26 South Carolina cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,162, and the middle half spent $850–$1,440. Bluffton spent less than 77% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($950,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
South Carolina cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Bluffton itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is up 26% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Bluffton 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: $783 · 2023: $704 · 2024: $808. Per resident it went from $783 to $808 (up 3%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 28,230 to 34,493.
full-time in March 2025, up from 130 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 $2,988 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.61% of the home’s value, vs 0.48% across South Carolina.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Bluffton’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 Bluffton’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Bluffton →
Who’s in charge in Bluffton
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time town employee for every 235 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 (34,493).
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.
Beaufort County School District
Bluffton’s K–12 school district, shared with Beaufort, Hilton Head Island, Port Royal, Yemassee. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $17,357 per pupil, $10,143 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.
South Carolina districts overall: 45% local, 43% state, 13% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Bluffton’s votes are counted by county
South Carolina reports official results by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Bluffton alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Beaufort County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican56.6%59,123 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat42.1%44,002 votesOthers: 1.2% (1,278 votes).
Most votes in Beaufort County: Donald J Trump
South Carolina: Trump 58.2%, Harris 40.4%
100% of Bluffton lies in Beaufort County. Every 2024 race in Beaufort County is on the county’s page.
Beaufort 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 Bluffton.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: townofbluffton.sc.gov ↗
- 2South Carolina HouseBluffton is split between 2 districts
- 3South Carolina SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of South Carolina
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
Reach Bluffton’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Bluffton’s government
How much does Bluffton spend per resident?
About $808 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 $783 was less than 77% of 26 South Carolina cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Bluffton?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,988 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.61% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.48% across South Carolina. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see townofbluffton.sc.gov.
Who runs Bluffton’s government?
See townofbluffton.sc.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Bluffton yet.
How did Bluffton vote in 2024?
South Carolina counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Bluffton alone. Beaufort County, where 100% of Bluffton lies, voted Trump 56.6%, Harris 42.1% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Bluffton?
147 full-time and 18 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $1.0M (about $12.1M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Bluffton in the state legislature?
Bluffton is split among 2 State House districts, so your address decides. The South Carolina Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Its State Senate district is District 46 (Tom Davis). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
When is the next public meeting in Bluffton?
The next posted meeting is Historic Preservation Review Committee on Monday, November 2, at 4:00 pm in Theodore D. Washington Municipal Building, Henry “Emmett” McCracken Jr. Council Chambers, 20 Bridge Street, from the town’s own agenda portal.
Ask neighbors about Bluffton’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 →