Photo: Brian Stansberry · CC BY 4.0How is Rockwood run?
Rockwood’s city government spent $3.6 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $664 per resident. That is its newest year reported to the Census Bureau. The airport ($225,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Rockwood is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
Roane County School District
Rockwood’s K–12 school district, shared with Kingston, Harriman. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $12,235 per pupil, $7,389 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.
About $664 per resident a year, or $1.82 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 29%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$664 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
Rockwood’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($664 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 $757, and the middle half spent $418–$1,168. Rockwood spent less than 58% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($576,000), 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 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Rockwood itself left out).
No trend yet
Rockwood reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau (2024 is an estimate), so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $680 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.53% 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 Rockwood’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 Rockwood’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Rockwood →
Who’s in charge in Rockwood
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Rockwood’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on rockwoodtn.org ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 54 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 (5,459).
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.
Rockwood’s votes are counted by county
Tennessee reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Rockwood alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Roane County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican76.6%21,011 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat22.2%6,073 votesOthers: 1.2% (328 votes).
Most votes in Roane County: Donald J Trump
Tennessee: Trump 64.2%, Harris 34.5%
100% of Rockwood lies in Roane County. Every 2024 race in Roane County is on the county’s page.
Roane 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 Rockwood.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: rockwoodtn.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 Rockwood compares with the towns next door
Rockwood spent $664 per resident in 2022. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Harriman | estimate | $792 |
| Rockwood | $664 | $680 |
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 Rockwood’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Rockwood’s government
How much does Rockwood spend per resident?
About $664 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 $664 was less than 58% of 43 Tennessee cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Rockwood?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $680 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.53% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.50% across Tennessee. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see rockwoodtn.org.
Who runs Rockwood’s government?
See rockwoodtn.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Rockwood yet.
How did Rockwood vote in 2024?
Tennessee counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Rockwood alone. Roane County, where 100% of Rockwood lies, voted Trump 76.6%, Harris 22.2% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Rockwood?
101 full-time and 17 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $503,932 (about $6.0M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Rockwood in the state legislature?
State Senate District 12 (Ken Yager) and State House District 32 (Monty Fritts). The House district also covers four other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Rockwood’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 →