Photo: Justin Felder · CC BY-SA 3.0Bowman spent less per resident in 2022 than 67% of similar cities
Bowman’s town government spent $240,000 on day-to-day services in the year to February 28, 2022, about $273 per resident. Water and other utilities ($305,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Bowman is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$273 per resident in 2022: less than 67% of them
Bowman’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($273 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 73 South Carolina cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $531, and the middle half spent $233–$923. Bowman spent less than 67% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($50,000), 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 under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Bowman itself left out).
About $273 per resident a year, or $0.75 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 68%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Bowman reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $687 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.99% 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 Bowman’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. In a town this small the estimate has a wide margin.
Tax bills are one input to Bowman’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Bowman →
Who’s in charge in Bowman
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time town employee for every 146 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 (878).
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.
Orangeburg County School District
Bowman’s K–12 school district, shared with Branchville, Cope, Cordova, Elloree, Eutawville and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $18,009 per pupil, $8,114 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.
Bowman’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 Bowman alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Orangeburg County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat61.8%22,832 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican37.2%13,750 votesOthers: 1.0% (388 votes).
Most votes in Orangeburg County: Kamala D Harris
South Carolina: Trump 58.2%, Harris 40.4%
100% of Bowman lies in Orangeburg County. Every 2024 race in Orangeburg County is on the county’s page.
Orangeburg 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 Bowman.
- 1Your townTown governmentLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 2South Carolina HouseState representatives
- 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 Bowman’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Bowman’s government
How much does Bowman spend per resident?
About $273 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to February 28, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $273 was less than 67% of 73 South Carolina cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Bowman?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $687 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.99% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.48% across South Carolina. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the town’s assessor.
Who runs Bowman’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Bowman yet.
How did Bowman vote in 2024?
South Carolina counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Bowman alone. Orangeburg County, where 100% of Bowman lies, voted Harris 61.8%, Trump 37.2% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Bowman?
6 full-time and 10 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $17,889 (about $214,668 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Bowman in the state legislature?
State Senate District 39 (Tom Fernandez) and State House District 90 (Justin Bamberg). The House district also covers 11 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Bowman’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 →