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Town Hall · Apex

Apex spent less per resident in 2022 than 77% of similar cities

Apex’s town government spent $85.3 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $1,201 per resident. Water and other utilities ($62.1 million) are counted separately.

Town website
Election Day

Tomorrow

General election in North Carolina.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2024
$85.3M
year to June 30, 2024
Per resident, 2024
$1,201
In 2022: $1,020, less than 77% of 35 similar cities
Long-term debt
$140.6M
end of FY2024, reported
Town staff, 2025
634
full-time · 13 part-time · March payroll $4.6M
Typical tax bill
$4,001
0.69% of home value · NC 0.66%

What stands out about how Apex is run

Read from the town’s budget and official records.

Compared with similar places

$1,020 per resident in 2022: less than 77% of them

Apex’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,020 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 35 North Carolina cities of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,200, and the middle half spent $1,046–$1,444. Apex spent less than 77% of them.

Middle half of the group, $1,046–$1,444Median $1,200Apex

Includes sewer and trash ($15 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 →

The group
35

North Carolina cities of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Apex itself left out).

Your share of the 2024 budget

About $1,201 per resident a year, or $3.29 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 24%.

Where the money comes from
Utility sales 34%Property taxes 24%Fees & charges 15%Sales taxes 10%Interest, fines & other 7%Other taxes & licenses 4%From the state 3%From other local governments 2%From the federal government <1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $28.3 million; interest on debt $3.4 million. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $179.1 million.
Over the years

Day-to-day spending is up 30% since 2022

Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Apex reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.

Day-to-day spending by fiscal year

2022$65.7 million
2023$79 million
2024$85.3 million

Per resident: 2022: $1,020 · 2023: $1,256 · 2024: $1,201. Per resident it went from $1,020 to $1,201 (up 18%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 64,388 to 71,065.

Town staff
634

full-time in March 2025, up from 485 in 2022. Both are Census estimates.

Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $4,001 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.69% of the home’s value, vs 0.66% across North Carolina.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Cary$4,142
Holly Springs$4,087
Apex$4,001
North Carolina$1,896
$4,001
typical bill a year
0.69%
effective rate
$576,100
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Apex’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 Apex’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Apex →

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Apex

Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.

See apexnc.org for Apex’s current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Apex yet.apexnc.org ↗
Agendas

Apex’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on apexnc.org ↗.

Who works for Apex

One full-time town employee for every 112 residents

On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (71,065).

By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025

Police131
Fire115
Parks & libraries61 + 11 pt
Water & other utilities63
Administration & buildings59 + 2 pt
Roads & transportation44
Sewer & trash41
Housing & development11
Courts, inspections & corrections5
Other104
634
full-time
13
part-time
$4.6M
payroll for March 2025
$55.3M
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$86,400
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
105
sworn police officers
104
full-time firefighters
Not compared.Staff are compared with the same group as the budget, and Apex’s 2022 budget was a Census estimate, so there is no group to compare with.

The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.

The school district

Wake County Schools

Apex’s K–12 school district, shared with Fuquay-Varina, Garner, Holly Springs, Knightdale, Rolesville and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Apex →
$12,279
per pupil · NC $13,045
161,481
students
$2.3 billion
long-term debt

Of the $12,279 per pupil, $8,085 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.

The district: schools, scores and graduation →

Where the district’s money comes from
Local 34%State 56%Federal 10%

North Carolina districts overall: 26% local, 57% state, 17% federal.

Also serving Apex

Chatham County Schools · $14,187 per pupil

School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.

Elections · 2024 general election

Apex’s votes are counted by county

North Carolina reports official results by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Apex alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Wake County’s results.

President · Wake County’s results653,580 votes · results as certified
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat61.7%402,984 votes
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican36.2%236,735 votes

Others: 2.1% (13,861 votes).

Most votes in Wake County: Kamala D Harris

North Carolina: Trump 50.9%, Harris 47.6%

The county’s page

100% of Apex lies in Wake County. Every 2024 race in Wake County is on the county’s page.

Wake County’s 2024 results →
DemocratRepublicanLibertarianIndependent / other

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.

Who represents Apex

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Apex.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your townTown government
    Officials: apexnc.org ↗
  2. 2
    North Carolina HouseApex is split between 3 districts
  3. 3
    North Carolina SenateState senator
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of North Carolina

Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.

Next door

How Apex compares with the towns next door

Apex spent $1,020 per resident in 2022; the 2 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $1,149 to $1,231. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.

Spends the leastSpends the mostEstimate or no figures
TownDay-to-day, per resident (2022)Tax bill
Holly Springs$1,149$4,087
Cary$1,231$4,142
Apex$1,020$4,001

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 Apex’s government

The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Apex’s government

How much does Apex spend per resident?

About $1,201 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 $1,020 was less than 77% of 35 North Carolina cities of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Apex?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $4,001 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.69% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.66% across North Carolina. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see apexnc.org.

Who runs Apex’s government?

See apexnc.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Apex yet.

How did Apex vote in 2024?

North Carolina counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Apex alone. Wake County, where 100% of Apex lies, voted Harris 61.7%, Trump 36.2% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Apex?

634 full-time and 13 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $4.6M (about $55.3M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Apex in the state legislature?

Apex is split among 3 State House districts and 3 State Senate districts, so your address decides. The North Carolina Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Apex’s government

Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.

Town Square →
Ask neighbors

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 →