Photo: Upstateherd · CC BY-SA 4.0How is Ridgeland run?
Ridgeland’s town government spent $4.4 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $1,138 per resident. Water and other utilities ($261,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Ridgeland is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
Jasper County School District
Ridgeland’s K–12 school district, shared with Hardeeville. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $15,235 per pupil, $6,588 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: 42% local, 43% state, 15% federal.
Beaufort County School District · $17,357 per pupil
School year 2021–22. Census Bureau school finance survey.
About $1,138 per resident a year, or $3.12 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 25%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,138 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
Ridgeland’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,138 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–$1,617. Ridgeland spent more than 51% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($282,000), 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; Ridgeland itself left out).
No trend yet
Ridgeland reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $1,297 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.57% 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 Ridgeland’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 Ridgeland’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Ridgeland →
Who’s in charge in Ridgeland
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Ridgeland’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on ridgelandsc.gov:80 ↗.
One full-time town employee for every 88 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 (3,868).
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.
Ridgeland’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 Ridgeland alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Jasper County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican54.3%9,900 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat44.7%8,144 votesOthers: 1.0% (183 votes).
Most votes in Jasper County: Donald J Trump
South Carolina: Trump 58.2%, Harris 40.4%
100% of Ridgeland lies in Jasper County; the rest in Beaufort County. Every 2024 race in Jasper County is on the county’s page.
Jasper 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 Ridgeland.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: ridgelandsc.gov:80 ↗
- 2South Carolina HouseRidgeland is split between 2 districts
- 3South Carolina SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseSplit between districts
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of South Carolina
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
Reach Ridgeland’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Ridgeland’s government
How much does Ridgeland spend per resident?
About $1,138 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 $1,138 was more than 51% of 43 South Carolina cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Ridgeland?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,297 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.57% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.48% across South Carolina. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see ridgelandsc.gov:80.
Who runs Ridgeland’s government?
See ridgelandsc.gov:80 for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Ridgeland yet.
How did Ridgeland vote in 2024?
South Carolina counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Ridgeland alone. Jasper County, where 100% of Ridgeland lies, voted Trump 54.3%, Harris 44.7% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Ridgeland?
44 full-time and 6 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $176,245 (about $2.1M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Ridgeland in the state legislature?
Ridgeland is split among 2 State House districts and 2 State Senate districts, so your address decides. The South Carolina Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Ridgeland’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 →