Photo: Bill shannon 2001 at English Wikipedia · Public domainWare Shoals spent more per resident in 2022 than 77% of similar cities
Ware Shoals’ town government spent $2 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $926 per resident. Water and other utilities ($470,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Ware Shoals is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$926 per resident in 2022: more than 77% of them
Ware Shoals’ day-to-day spending in 2022 ($926 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–$915. Ware Shoals spent more than 77% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($1.2 million), 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; Ware Shoals itself left out).
About $926 per resident a year, or $2.54 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 60%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Ware Shoals reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $560 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.68% 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 Ware Shoals’ 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 Ware Shoals’ Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Ware Shoals →
Who’s in charge in Ware Shoals
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Ware Shoals’ meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on wareshoals.org ↗.
One full-time town employee for every 196 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 (2,152).
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.
Greenwood School District 51
Ware Shoals’ K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $15,507 per pupil, $8,222 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.
Ware Shoals’ votes are counted by county
South Carolina reports official results by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Ware Shoals alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Greenwood County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican63.8%19,715 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat34.9%10,766 votesOthers: 1.3% (407 votes).
Most votes in Greenwood County: Donald J Trump
South Carolina: Trump 58.2%, Harris 40.4%
100% of Ware Shoals lies in Greenwood County; the rest in Laurens County. Every 2024 race in Greenwood County is on the county’s page.
Greenwood 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 Ware Shoals.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: wareshoals.org ↗
- 2South Carolina HouseWare Shoals 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.
Reach Ware Shoals’ government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Ware Shoals’ government
How much does Ware Shoals spend per resident?
About $926 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 $926 was more than 77% of 73 South Carolina cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Ware Shoals?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $560 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.68% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.48% across South Carolina. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see wareshoals.org.
Who runs Ware Shoals’ government?
See wareshoals.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Ware Shoals yet.
How did Ware Shoals vote in 2024?
South Carolina counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Ware Shoals alone. Greenwood County, where 100% of Ware Shoals lies, voted Trump 63.8%, Harris 34.9% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Ware Shoals?
11 full-time and 27 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $40,178 (about $482,136 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Ware Shoals in the state legislature?
Ware Shoals 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 Ware Shoals’ 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 →