Photo: Excel23 · CC BY-SA 4.0How is Central run?
Central’s town government spent $1.4 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $255 per resident.
What stands out about how Central is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
Pickens County School District
Central’s K–12 school district, shared with Liberty, Norris, Pickens, Six Mile, Easley and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $12,476 per pupil, $7,214 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.
About $255 per resident a year, or $0.70 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 79%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No comparison or trend for Central yet
The fair comparison uses 2022, the last year the Census Bureau counted every government (later years are a sample), and Central’s 2022 figures are a Census estimate (it reported none of its 2022 dollars). It reported 2024 only (2022 is an estimate), so there is no trend yet either. The next full count is 2027.
How Town Hall compares budgets →The typical homeowner pays $936 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.36% 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 Central’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 Central’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Central →
Who’s in charge in Central
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Central’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on cityofcentral.org ↗.
One full-time town employee for every 172 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 2024 finance file (5,345).
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.
Central’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 Central alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Pickens County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican75.6%45,728 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat23.0%13,891 votesOthers: 1.4% (832 votes).
Most votes in Pickens County: Donald J Trump
South Carolina: Trump 58.2%, Harris 40.4%
100% of Central lies in Pickens County. Every 2024 race in Pickens County is on the county’s page.
Pickens 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 Central.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: cityofcentral.org ↗
- 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.
How Central compares with the towns next door
Central’s 2022 figures are a Census estimate, so it isn’t placed among them. Neighbors that reported 2022 spent $1,185 per resident. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Clemson | $1,185 | $1,912 |
| Central | estimate | $936 |
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 Central’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Central’s government
How much does Central spend per resident?
About $255 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau.
What is the property tax rate in Central?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $936 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.36% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.48% across South Carolina. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cityofcentral.org.
Who runs Central’s government?
See cityofcentral.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Central yet.
How did Central vote in 2024?
South Carolina counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Central alone. Pickens County, where 100% of Central lies, voted Trump 75.6%, Harris 23.0% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Central?
31 full-time and 15 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $130,438 (about $1.6M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Central in the state legislature?
Central is split among 2 State Senate districts, so your address decides. The South Carolina Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Central’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 →