Bluff City spent more per resident in 2022 than 70% of similar cities
Bluff City’s city government spent $1.3 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $766 per resident. Water and other utilities ($231,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Bluff City is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$766 per resident in 2022: more than 70% of them
Bluff City’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($766 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 113 Tennessee cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $574, and the middle half spent $297–$828. Bluff City spent more than 70% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($257,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Tennessee cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Bluff City itself left out).
About $766 per resident a year, or $2.10 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 44%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Bluff City reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $867 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.55% of the home’s value, vs 0.50% across Tennessee.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Bluff City’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 Bluff City’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Bluff City →
Who’s in charge in Bluff City
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Bluff City’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on bluffcitytn.org ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 111 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 (1,672).
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.
Sullivan County School District
Bluff City’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $12,103 per pupil, $7,113 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.
Tennessee districts overall: 40% local, 44% state, 16% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Bluff City’s votes are counted by county
Tennessee reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Bluff City alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Sullivan County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican77.0%58,154 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat22.0%16,624 votesOthers: 1.0% (763 votes).
Most votes in Sullivan County: Donald J Trump
Tennessee: Trump 64.2%, Harris 34.5%
100% of Bluff City lies in Sullivan County. Every 2024 race in Sullivan County is on the county’s page.
Sullivan 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 Bluff City.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: bluffcitytn.org ↗
- 2Tennessee HouseState representatives
- 3Tennessee SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Tennessee
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Bluff City compares with the towns next door
Bluff City spent $766 per resident in 2022; the neighbor that reported 2022 spent $3,149. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Bristol | $3,149 runs schools | $1,450 |
| Bluff City | $766 | $867 |
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 Bluff City’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Bluff City’s government
How much does Bluff City spend per resident?
About $766 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 $766 was more than 70% of 113 Tennessee cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Bluff City?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $867 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.55% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.50% across Tennessee. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see bluffcitytn.org.
Who runs Bluff City’s government?
See bluffcitytn.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Bluff City yet.
How did Bluff City vote in 2024?
Tennessee counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Bluff City alone. Sullivan County, where 100% of Bluff City lies, voted Trump 77.0%, Harris 22.0% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Bluff City?
15 full-time and 3 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $51,252 (about $615,024 a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Bluff City in the state legislature?
State Senate District 4 (Bobby Harshbarger) and State House District 3 (Timothy Hill). The House district also covers six other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Bluff City’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 →