Photo: Bill Fitzpatrick · CC BY-SA 3.0St. Matthews spent more per resident in 2022 than 71% of similar cities
St. Matthews’ town government spent $1.6 million on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2022, about $837 per resident. Water and other utilities ($770,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how St. Matthews is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$837 per resident in 2022: more than 71% of them
St. Matthews’ day-to-day spending in 2022 ($837 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–$923. St. Matthews spent more than 71% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($266,000), 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 under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; St. Matthews itself left out).
About $837 per resident a year, or $2.29 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 31%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
St. Matthews reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $755 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.37% 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 St. Matthews’ 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 St. Matthews’ Cost of living grade. Cost of living in St. Matthews →
Who’s in charge in St. Matthews
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
St. Matthews’ meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on stmatthews.sc.gov ↗.
One full-time town employee for every 190 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 (1,903).
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.
Calhoun County School District
St. Matthews’ K–12 school district, shared with Cameron. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $17,737 per pupil, $8,826 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.
St. Matthews’ votes are counted by county
South Carolina reports official results by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for St. Matthews alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Calhoun County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican56.5%4,474 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat42.2%3,339 votesOthers: 1.3% (101 votes).
Most votes in Calhoun County: Donald J Trump
South Carolina: Trump 58.2%, Harris 40.4%
100% of St. Matthews lies in Calhoun County. Every 2024 race in Calhoun County is on the county’s page.
Calhoun 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 St. Matthews.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: stmatthews.sc.gov ↗
- 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 St. Matthews’ government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about St. Matthews’ government
How much does St. Matthews spend per resident?
About $837 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $837 was more than 71% of 73 South Carolina cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in St. Matthews?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $755 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.37% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.48% across South Carolina. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see stmatthews.sc.gov.
Who runs St. Matthews’ government?
See stmatthews.sc.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for St. Matthews yet.
How did St. Matthews vote in 2024?
South Carolina counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for St. Matthews alone. Calhoun County, where 100% of St. Matthews lies, voted Trump 56.5%, Harris 42.2% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for St. Matthews?
10 full-time and 5 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $43,108 (about $517,296 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents St. Matthews in the state legislature?
St. Matthews is split among 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 St. Matthews’ 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 →