Photo: Zach Sharpe · CC BY-SA 4.0Westminster spent more per resident in 2022 than 65% of similar cities
Westminster’s city government spent $5.4 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $2,274 per resident. Water and other utilities ($5.2 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Westminster is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,349 per resident in 2022: more than 65% of them
Westminster’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,349 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 43 South Carolina cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,137, and the middle half spent $694–$1,617. Westminster spent more than 65% 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 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Westminster itself left out).
About $2,274 per resident a year, or $6.23 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 27%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 55% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Westminster reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.
Day-to-day spending by fiscal year
Per resident: 2022: $1,349 · 2024: $2,274. Per resident it went from $1,349 to $2,274 (up 69%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 2,598 to 2,386.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $942 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.53% 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 Westminster’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.
Tax bills are one input to Westminster’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Westminster →
Who’s in charge in Westminster
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Westminster’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on westminstersc.org ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 70 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (2,386).
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.
Oconee County School District
Westminster’s K–12 school district, shared with Salem, Seneca, Walhalla, West Union. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $15,320 per pupil, $8,407 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.
Westminster’s votes are counted by county
South Carolina reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Westminster alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Oconee County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican75.2%31,772 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat23.6%9,987 votesOthers: 1.2% (505 votes).
Most votes in Oconee County: Donald J Trump
South Carolina: Trump 58.2%, Harris 40.4%
100% of Westminster lies in Oconee County. Every 2024 race in Oconee County is on the county’s page.
Oconee 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 Westminster.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: westminstersc.org ↗
- 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 Westminster’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Westminster’s government
How much does Westminster spend per resident?
About $2,274 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,349 was more than 65% of 43 South Carolina cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Westminster?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $942 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.53% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.48% across South Carolina. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see westminstersc.org.
Who runs Westminster’s government?
See westminstersc.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Westminster yet.
How did Westminster vote in 2024?
South Carolina counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Westminster alone. Oconee County, where 100% of Westminster lies, voted Trump 75.2%, Harris 23.6% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Westminster?
34 full-time and 6 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $118,268 (about $1.4M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Westminster in the state legislature?
State Senate District 1 (Tom Alexander) and State House District 1 (Bill Whitmire). The House district also covers four other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Westminster’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 →