Photo: Cqw1976 · CC BY-SA 4.0Cheraw spent more per resident in 2022 than 95% of similar cities
Cheraw’s town government spent $8.4 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $1,694 per resident. Water and other utilities ($5.5 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Cheraw is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$2,276 per resident in 2022: more than 95% of them
Cheraw’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($2,276 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 43 South Carolina cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,137, and the middle half spent $694–$1,548. Cheraw spent more than 95% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($6.2 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 →
South Carolina cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Cheraw itself left out).
About $1,694 per resident a year, or $4.64 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 27%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is down 33% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Cheraw 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: $2,276 · 2023: $2,291 · 2024: $1,694. Per resident it went from $2,276 to $1,694 (down 26%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 5,554 to 4,985.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $503 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.33% 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 Cheraw’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 Cheraw’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Cheraw →
Who’s in charge in Cheraw
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Cheraw’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on cheraw.com ↗.
One full-time town employee for every 54 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (4,985).
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.
Chesterfield County School District
Cheraw’s K–12 school district, shared with Chesterfield, Jefferson, McBee, Mount Croghan, Pageland and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $14,099 per pupil, $7,174 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.
Cheraw’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 Cheraw alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Chesterfield County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican63.5%11,682 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat35.5%6,520 votesOthers: 1.0% (189 votes).
Most votes in Chesterfield County: Donald J Trump
South Carolina: Trump 58.2%, Harris 40.4%
100% of Cheraw lies in Chesterfield County. Every 2024 race in Chesterfield County is on the county’s page.
Chesterfield 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 Cheraw.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: cheraw.com ↗
- 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 Cheraw’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Cheraw’s government
How much does Cheraw spend per resident?
About $1,694 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 $2,276 was more than 95% of 43 South Carolina cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Cheraw?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $503 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.33% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.48% across South Carolina. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cheraw.com.
Who runs Cheraw’s government?
See cheraw.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Cheraw yet.
How did Cheraw vote in 2024?
South Carolina counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Cheraw alone. Chesterfield County, where 100% of Cheraw lies, voted Trump 63.5%, Harris 35.5% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Cheraw?
93 full-time and 26 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $320,474 (about $3.8M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Cheraw in the state legislature?
State Senate District 29 (J.D. Chaplin) and State House District 54 (Jason Luck). The House district also covers five other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Cheraw’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 →