Providence Methodist Church · Photo: Ammodramus · CC0How is Santee run?
Who represents Santee, what homeowners pay in property tax, and how Santee voted.
What stands out about how Santee is run
Read from the town’s official records.
Orangeburg County School District
Santee’s K–12 school district, shared with Bowman, Branchville, Cope, Cordova, Elloree and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $18,009 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.
The typical homeowner pays $1,277 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.79% 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 Santee’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 Santee’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Santee →
Who’s in charge in Santee
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Santee’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 Santee alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Orangeburg County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat61.8%22,832 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican37.2%13,750 votesOthers: 1.0% (388 votes).
Most votes in Orangeburg County: Kamala D Harris
South Carolina: Trump 58.2%, Harris 40.4%
100% of Santee lies in Orangeburg County. Every 2024 race in Orangeburg County is on the county’s page.
Orangeburg 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 Santee.
- 1Your townTown governmentLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 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 Santee’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Santee’s government
What is the property tax rate in Santee?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,277 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.79% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.48% across South Carolina. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the town’s assessor.
Who runs Santee’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Santee yet.
How did Santee vote in 2024?
South Carolina counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Santee alone. Orangeburg County, where 100% of Santee lies, voted Harris 61.8%, Trump 37.2% for president; its page has every race.
Who represents Santee in the state legislature?
State Senate District 36 (Jeff Zell) and State House District 93 (Jerry Govan). The House district also covers eight other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Santee’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 →