Photo: Evanoco · CC BY-SA 4.0Lake City spent less per resident in 2022 than 81% of similar cities
Lake City’s city government spent $3 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $468 per resident. Water and other utilities ($155,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Lake City is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$468 per resident in 2022: less than 81% of them
Lake City’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($468 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 $1,138, and the middle half spent $709–$1,617. Lake City spent less than 81% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($611,000), 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; Lake City itself left out).
About $468 per resident a year, or $1.28 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 38%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Lake City reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
full-time in March 2025, up from 76 in 2022.
The typical homeowner pays $577 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.40% 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 Lake City’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 Lake City’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Lake City →
Who’s in charge in Lake City
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Lake City’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on lakecitysc.com ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 55 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (6,445).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Florence School District 3
Lake City’s K–12 school district, shared with Coward, Olanta, Scranton. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $16,193 per pupil, $8,114 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.
Lake City’s votes are counted by county
South Carolina reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Lake City alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Florence County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican53.3%32,615 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat45.3%27,706 votesOthers: 1.3% (819 votes).
Most votes in Florence County: Donald J Trump
South Carolina: Trump 58.2%, Harris 40.4%
100% of Lake City lies in Florence County. Every 2024 race in Florence County is on the county’s page.
Florence 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 Lake City.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: lakecitysc.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 Lake City’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Lake City’s government
How much does Lake City spend per resident?
About $468 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $468 was less than 81% of 43 South Carolina cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Lake City?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $577 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.40% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.48% across South Carolina. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see lakecitysc.com.
Who runs Lake City’s government?
See lakecitysc.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Lake City yet.
How did Lake City vote in 2024?
South Carolina counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Lake City alone. Florence County, where 100% of Lake City lies, voted Trump 53.3%, Harris 45.3% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Lake City?
117 full-time and 7 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $501,599 (about $6.0M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Lake City in the state legislature?
State Senate District 32 (Ronnie Sabb) and State House District 101 (Roger Kirby). The House district also covers four other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Lake City’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 →