Town Hall · Chester

Chester, SC town hall & government

Chester spent $7.5 million in the year to June 30, 2022, about $1,391 per resident.

Where the money goes, where it comes from, property taxes, and how to reach Chester's government.

Town budget

Where Chester's money goes

Spent
$7.5 million
fiscal year to June 30, 2022
Per resident
$1,391
typical South Carolina cities: $1,686
Long-term debt
None
none outstanding at year end
Police
$1.7 million23%
Fire
$1.7 million23%
Sewer & trash
$1.3 million18%
Courts, inspections & corrections
$777,00010%
Parks & libraries
$645,0009%
Administration & buildings
$635,0009%
Other
$636,0009%

Where the money comes from

  • Property taxes 49%
  • Interest, fines & other 22%
  • From other local governments 10%
  • Fees & charges 9%
  • From the state 5%
  • Other taxes & licenses 5%
Town workforce · Census estimate

Who works for Chester

Full-time staff
77
20 part-time too
Average full-time pay
$42,800
a year, before benefits
Sworn police officers
21
and 26 full-time firefighters
Fire
27 full-time1 part
Police
23 full-time
Sewer & trash
15 full-time
Administration & buildings
3 full-time10 part
Parks & libraries
7 full-time1 part
Courts, inspections & corrections
1 full-time7 part
Other
1 full-time1 part

Staff on the town's payroll in March 2022. Pay is March payroll times twelve, so it's approximate. Chester didn't report its staffing to the Census Bureau, so these are the Bureau's estimates.

Schools · school year 2023–24

Chester County School District

Chester's K–12 school district, shared with Fort Lawn, Great Falls, Lowrys and Richburg. It is its own government, with a budget separate from the town's.

Spending per pupil
$16,618
South Carolina: $15,090
Students
4,590
in the whole district
Long-term debt
$4.1 million
at year end

Where the district's money comes from South Carolina districts overall: 45% local, 43% state, 13% federal

  • Local 37%
  • State 49%
  • Federal 15%

Of the $16,618 per pupil, $7,847 goes to classroom instruction (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to support services such as buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren't in the per-pupil figure.

Property tax

What homeowners in Chester pay

Typical tax bill
$1,075
a year · South Carolina typical $1,251
Effective rate
0.87%
of home value · South Carolina 0.48%
Typical home value
$123,000
owner-occupied

The median yearly bill homeowners report, covering every local property tax on the home (town, schools, county). The effective rate is that bill divided by the median home value, so it's a rough guide, not the official tax rate.

Local

Contact Chester's government

🏛️ Official websitechestersc.org ↗

Town hall & decisions in Chester →

Beyond town hall

Who represents Chester

Chester is represented in Congress by Senators Tim Scott and Darline Graham and Representative Ralph Norman. Henry McMaster is governor.

All of Chester's representatives, with contacts →

Budget: U.S. Census Bureau, 2022 Census of Governments: Finance (every city and town government's revenue, spending and debt, grouped into plain categories). Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 5-year estimates.

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Chester

South Carolina · SC
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