Progressive Club, The · Photo: Cantbeatpie · CC BY-SA 3.0Kiawah Island spent more per resident in 2022 than 99% of similar cities
Kiawah Island’s town government spent $10.7 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2023, about $5,408 per resident.
What stands out about how Kiawah Island is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$5,275 per resident in 2022: more than 99% of them
Kiawah Island’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($5,275 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. Kiawah Island spent more than 99% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($1.1 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; Kiawah Island itself left out).
About $5,408 per resident a year, or $14.82 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 31%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 15% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Kiawah Island 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: $5,275 · 2023: $5,408. Per resident it went from $5,275 to $5,408 (up 3%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 1,765 to 1,986.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $8,349 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.42% 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 Kiawah Island’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 Kiawah Island’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Kiawah Island →
Who’s in charge in Kiawah Island
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Kiawah Island’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on kiawahisland.org ↗.
One full-time town employee for every 95 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2023 finance file (1,986).
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.
Charleston County School District
Kiawah Island’s K–12 school district, shared with Awendaw, Folly Beach, Hollywood, Isle of Palms, James Island and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $18,199 per pupil, $9,517 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.
Kiawah Island’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 Kiawah Island alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Charleston County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat51.9%111,427 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican46.3%99,265 votesOthers: 1.8% (3,829 votes).
Most votes in Charleston County: Kamala D Harris
South Carolina: Trump 58.2%, Harris 40.4%
100% of Kiawah Island lies in Charleston County. Every 2024 race in Charleston County is on the county’s page.
Charleston 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 Kiawah Island.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: kiawahisland.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 Kiawah Island compares with the towns next door
Kiawah Island spent $5,275 per resident in 2022. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Seabrook Island | estimate | $3,970 |
| Kiawah Island | $5,275 | $8,349 |
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 Kiawah Island’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Kiawah Island’s government
How much does Kiawah Island spend per resident?
About $5,408 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2023, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $5,275 was more than 99% of 73 South Carolina cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Kiawah Island?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $8,349 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.42% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.48% across South Carolina. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see kiawahisland.org.
Who runs Kiawah Island’s government?
See kiawahisland.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Kiawah Island yet.
How did Kiawah Island vote in 2024?
South Carolina counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Kiawah Island alone. Charleston County, where 100% of Kiawah Island lies, voted Harris 51.9%, Trump 46.3% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Kiawah Island?
21 full-time and 20 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $143,478 (about $1.7M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Kiawah Island in the state legislature?
State Senate District 43 (Chip Campsen) and State House District 115 (Spencer Wetmore). The House district also covers four other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Kiawah Island’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 →