Photo: Dclemens1971 · CC BY 4.0Ridgeside spent more per resident in 2022 than 74% of similar cities
Ridgeside’s city government spent $362,000 on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $812 per resident.
What stands out about how Ridgeside is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$812 per resident in 2022: more than 74% of them
Ridgeside’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($812 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. Ridgeside spent more than 74% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($79,000), 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; Ridgeside itself left out).
About $812 per resident a year, or $2.22 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: parks & libraries, at 33%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Revenue is well above spending. That usually means Ridgeside collects property taxes for the school district and county and passes them on, so only its own spending is counted.
No trend yet
Ridgeside reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $3,804 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.79% 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 Ridgeside’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 Ridgeside’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Ridgeside →
Who’s in charge in Ridgeside
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Ridgeside’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on ridgeside.net ↗.
Hamilton County School District
Ridgeside’s K–12 school district, shared with Chattanooga, Collegedale, East Ridge, Lakesite, Lookout Mountain and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $16,443 per pupil, $10,089 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.
Ridgeside’s votes are counted by county
Tennessee reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Ridgeside alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Hamilton County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican55.7%97,195 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat42.7%74,437 votesOthers: 1.6% (2,806 votes).
Most votes in Hamilton County: Donald J Trump
Tennessee: Trump 64.2%, Harris 34.5%
100% of Ridgeside lies in Hamilton County. Every 2024 race in Hamilton County is on the county’s page.
Hamilton 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 Ridgeside.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: ridgeside.net ↗
- 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.
Reach Ridgeside’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Ridgeside’s government
How much does Ridgeside spend per resident?
About $812 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 $812 was more than 74% of 113 Tennessee cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Ridgeside?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,804 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.79% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.50% across Tennessee. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see ridgeside.net.
Who runs Ridgeside’s government?
See ridgeside.net for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Ridgeside yet.
How did Ridgeside vote in 2024?
Tennessee counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Ridgeside alone. Hamilton County, where 100% of Ridgeside lies, voted Trump 55.7%, Harris 42.7% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Ridgeside?
0 full-time and 15 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $38,208 (about $458,496 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Ridgeside in the state legislature?
State Senate District 11 (Bo Watson) and State House District 30 (Esther Helton-Haynes). The House district also covers three neighboring towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Ridgeside’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 →