John Lawton House · Photo: Jud McCranie · CC BY-SA 4.0Estill spent more per resident in 2022 than 92% of similar cities
Estill’s town government spent $2.7 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $1,546 per resident. Water and other utilities ($500,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Estill is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$1,878 per resident in 2022: more than 92% of them
Estill’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,878 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 $490, and the middle half spent $233–$915. Estill spent more than 92% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($1.8 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 under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Estill itself left out).
About $1,546 per resident a year, or $4.24 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 38%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is down 21% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Estill 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: $1,878 · 2024: $1,546.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $800 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.85% 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 Estill’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 Estill’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Estill →
Who’s in charge in Estill
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Estill’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on townofestill.sc.gov ↗.
One full-time town employee for every 77 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 (1,768).
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.
Hampton County School District
Estill’s K–12 school district, shared with Brunson, Furman, Gifford, Hampton, Luray and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $18,342 per pupil, $8,419 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.
Estill’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 Estill alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Hampton County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat52.6%4,328 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican46.2%3,801 votesOthers: 1.3% (104 votes).
Most votes in Hampton County: Kamala D Harris
South Carolina: Trump 58.2%, Harris 40.4%
100% of Estill lies in Hampton County. Every 2024 race in Hampton County is on the county’s page.
Hampton 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 Estill.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: townofestill.sc.gov ↗
- 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 Estill’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Estill’s government
How much does Estill spend per resident?
About $1,546 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 $1,878 was more than 92% of 73 South Carolina cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Estill?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $800 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.85% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.48% across South Carolina. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see townofestill.sc.gov.
Who runs Estill’s government?
See townofestill.sc.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Estill yet.
How did Estill vote in 2024?
South Carolina counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Estill alone. Hampton County, where 100% of Estill lies, voted Harris 52.6%, Trump 46.2% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Estill?
23 full-time and 12 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $116,735 (about $1.4M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Estill in the state legislature?
State Senate District 45 (Margie Bright Matthews) and State House District 122 (Bill Hager). The House district also covers 11 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Estill’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 →