Photo: Nyttend · Public domainHow is Tatum run?
Tatum’s town government spent $3,000 on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $44 per resident. These are Census Bureau estimates: Tatum didn’t report its figures, so this page shows them without comparisons.
What stands out about how Tatum is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
Marlboro County School District
Tatum’s K–12 school district, shared with Bennettsville, Blenheim, Clio, McColl. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $17,053 per pupil, $7,522 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.
About $44 per resident a year, or $0.12 a day
Day-to-day services only (a Census Bureau estimate). The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 100%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Tatum didn’t report all of its 2022 figures to the Census Bureau, so most of these numbers are the Bureau’s estimates.
No comparison or trend for Tatum yet
Every year of Tatum’s figures is a Census Bureau estimate: the town reported none of its dollars for 2022. Estimates are shown above, labeled, but never ranked against places that reported or drawn as a trend.
How Town Hall compares budgets →The typical homeowner pays $400 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.46% 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 Tatum’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 Tatum’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Tatum →
Who’s in charge in Tatum
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Tatum’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 Tatum alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Marlboro County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat50.6%5,137 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican48.2%4,896 votesOthers: 1.2% (119 votes).
Most votes in Marlboro County: Kamala D Harris
South Carolina: Trump 58.2%, Harris 40.4%
100% of Tatum lies in Marlboro County. Every 2024 race in Marlboro County is on the county’s page.
Marlboro 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 Tatum.
- 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 Tatum’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Tatum’s government
How much does Tatum spend per resident?
About $44 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, a Census Bureau estimate (Tatum didn’t report its figures). With building projects and interest, the whole budget was about $3,000.
What is the property tax rate in Tatum?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $400 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.46% 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 Tatum’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Tatum yet.
How did Tatum vote in 2024?
South Carolina counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Tatum alone. Marlboro County, where 100% of Tatum lies, voted Harris 50.6%, Trump 48.2% for president; its page has every race.
Who represents Tatum in the state legislature?
State Senate District 29 (J.D. Chaplin) and State House District 54 (Jason Luck). The House district also covers five other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Tatum’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 (for Tatum, the Bureau’s estimates); 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 →