Photo: Bernardgeorgeh · CC BY-SA 4.0Swansea spent less per resident in 2022 than 74% of similar cities
Swansea’s town government spent $236,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $239 per resident. Water and other utilities ($179,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Swansea is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$239 per resident in 2022: less than 74% of them
Swansea’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($239 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 $531, and the middle half spent $233–$923. Swansea spent less than 74% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($38,000), 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; Swansea itself left out).
About $239 per resident a year, or $0.65 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: courts, inspections & corrections, at 29%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Swansea reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $838 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.65% 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 Swansea’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 Swansea’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Swansea →
Who’s in charge in Swansea
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Swansea’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on townofswansea.sc.gov ↗.
One full-time town employee for every 90 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (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.
Lexington School District 4
Swansea’s K–12 school district, shared with Gaston. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $15,026 per pupil, $7,966 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.
Swansea’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 Swansea alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Lexington County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican66.0%96,965 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat32.5%47,815 votesOthers: 1.4% (2,123 votes).
Most votes in Lexington County: Donald J Trump
South Carolina: Trump 58.2%, Harris 40.4%
100% of Swansea lies in Lexington County. Every 2024 race in Lexington County is on the county’s page.
Lexington 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 Swansea.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: townofswansea.sc.gov ↗
- 2South Carolina HouseSwansea is split between 2 districts
- 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 Swansea compares with the towns next door
Swansea spent $239 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaston | estimate | $379 |
| Swansea | $239 | $838 |
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 Swansea’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Swansea’s government
How much does Swansea spend per resident?
About $239 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $239 was less than 74% of 73 South Carolina cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Swansea?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $838 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.65% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.48% across South Carolina. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see townofswansea.sc.gov.
Who runs Swansea’s government?
See townofswansea.sc.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Swansea yet.
How did Swansea vote in 2024?
South Carolina counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Swansea alone. Lexington County, where 100% of Swansea lies, voted Trump 66.0%, Harris 32.5% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Swansea?
11 full-time and 6 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $61,356 (about $736,272 a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Swansea in the state legislature?
Swansea 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 Swansea’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 →