Photo: NealVickers · CC BY-SA 4.0Pigeon Forge spent more per resident in 2022 than 100% of similar cities
Pigeon Forge’s city government spent $87 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $13,993 per resident. Water and other utilities ($10.3 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Pigeon Forge is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$9,702 per resident in 2022: more than 100% of them
Pigeon Forge’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($9,702 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 43 Tennessee cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $698, and the middle half spent $418–$1,116. Pigeon Forge spent more than 100% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($7.9 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 →
Tennessee cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Pigeon Forge itself left out).
About $13,993 per resident a year, or $38.34 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 12%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 44% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Pigeon Forge 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: $9,702 · 2023: $11,742 · 2024: $13,993.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $669 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.23% 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 Pigeon Forge’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 Pigeon Forge’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Pigeon Forge →
Who’s in charge in Pigeon Forge
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Pigeon Forge’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on mypigeonforge.com ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 26 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 (6,215).
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.
Sevier County School District
Pigeon Forge’s K–12 school district, shared with Gatlinburg, Pittman Center, Sevierville. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $14,075 per pupil, $8,370 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.
Pigeon Forge’s votes are counted by county
Tennessee reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Pigeon Forge alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Sevier County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican80.1%35,207 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat18.9%8,322 votesOthers: 1.0% (441 votes).
Most votes in Sevier County: Donald J Trump
Tennessee: Trump 64.2%, Harris 34.5%
100% of Pigeon Forge lies in Sevier County. Every 2024 race in Sevier County is on the county’s page.
Sevier 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 Pigeon Forge.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: mypigeonforge.com ↗
- 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 Pigeon Forge compares with the towns next door
Pigeon Forge spent $9,702 per resident in 2022; the neighbor that reported 2022 spent $2,509. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Sevierville | $2,509 | $1,073 |
| Pigeon Forge | $9,702 | $669 |
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 Pigeon Forge’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Pigeon Forge’s government
How much does Pigeon Forge spend per resident?
About $13,993 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 $9,702 was more than 100% of 43 Tennessee cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Pigeon Forge?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $669 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.23% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.50% across Tennessee. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see mypigeonforge.com.
Who runs Pigeon Forge’s government?
See mypigeonforge.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Pigeon Forge yet.
How did Pigeon Forge vote in 2024?
Tennessee counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Pigeon Forge alone. Sevier County, where 100% of Pigeon Forge lies, voted Trump 80.1%, Harris 18.9% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Pigeon Forge?
239 full-time and 39 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $1.2M (about $14.4M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Pigeon Forge in the state legislature?
State Senate District 8 (Jessie Seal) and State House District 12 (Fred Atchley). The House district also covers three neighboring towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Pigeon Forge’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 →