Photo: Bernardgeorgeh · CC BY-SA 4.0How is Gaston run?
Gaston’s town government spent $538,000 on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $314 per resident. These are Census Bureau estimates: Gaston didn’t report its figures, so this page shows them without comparisons.
What stands out about how Gaston is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
Lexington School District 4
Gaston’s K–12 school district, shared with Swansea. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $15,026 per pupil, $7,966 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 $314 per resident a year, or $0.86 a day
Day-to-day services only (a Census Bureau estimate). The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 59%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Gaston didn’t report all of its 2022 figures to the Census Bureau, so most of these numbers are the Bureau’s estimates.
No comparison or trend for Gaston yet
Every year of Gaston’s figures is a Census Bureau estimate: the town reported none of its dollars for 2022. Estimates are shown above, labeled, but never ranked against places that reported or drawn as a trend.
How Town Hall compares budgets →The typical homeowner pays $379 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.32% 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 Gaston’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 Gaston’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Gaston →
Who’s in charge in Gaston
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Gaston’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on gastonsc.org ↗.
One full-time town employee for every 214 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 (1,712).
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.
Gaston’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 Gaston alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Lexington County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican66.0%96,965 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat32.5%47,815 votesOthers: 1.4% (2,123 votes).
Most votes in Lexington County: Donald J Trump
South Carolina: Trump 58.2%, Harris 40.4%
100% of Gaston lies in Lexington County. Every 2024 race in Lexington County is on the county’s page.
Lexington 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 Gaston.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: gastonsc.org ↗
- 2South Carolina HouseGaston 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.
How Gaston compares with the towns next door
Gaston’s own figures are Census estimates, so it isn’t placed among its neighbors. 1 of the 1 towns next door reported 2022 figures, from $239 per resident. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Swansea | $239 | $838 |
| Gaston | estimate | $379 |
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 Gaston’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Gaston’s government
How much does Gaston spend per resident?
About $314 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, a Census Bureau estimate (Gaston didn’t report its figures). With building projects and interest, the whole budget was about $578,000.
What is the property tax rate in Gaston?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $379 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.32% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.48% across South Carolina. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see gastonsc.org.
Who runs Gaston’s government?
See gastonsc.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Gaston yet.
How did Gaston vote in 2024?
South Carolina counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Gaston alone. Lexington County, where 100% of Gaston lies, voted Trump 66.0%, Harris 32.5% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Gaston?
8 full-time and 6 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $22,829 (about $273,948 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Gaston in the state legislature?
Gaston 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 23 (Carlisle Kennedy). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Gaston’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 (for Gaston, the Bureau’s estimates); 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 →