Thomas Wolfe House · Photo: Abe Ezekowitz · CC BY-SA 2.0Asheville spent more per resident in 2022 than 89% of similar cities
Asheville’s city government spent $171.9 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $1,833 per resident. Water and other utilities ($75.6 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Asheville is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,551 per resident in 2022: more than 89% of them
Asheville’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,551 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 $1,197, and the middle half spent $1,032–$1,434. Asheville spent more than 89% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($8.7 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 →
North Carolina cities of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Asheville itself left out).
About $1,833 per resident a year, or $5.02 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: fire, at 23%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 19% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Asheville 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: $1,551 · 2023: $1,909 · 2024: $1,833.
full-time in March 2025, up from 1,028 in 2022.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $2,960 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.67% of the home’s value, vs 0.66% across North Carolina.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Asheville’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 Asheville’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Asheville →
Who’s in charge in Asheville
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Asheville’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on ashevillenc.gov ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 67 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 (93,776).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Buncombe County Schools
Asheville’s K–12 school district, shared with Biltmore Forest, Black Mountain, Montreat, Weaverville, Woodfin. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $13,828 per pupil, $8,392 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.
North Carolina districts overall: 26% local, 57% state, 17% federal.
Asheville City Schools · $17,958 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Asheville’s votes are counted by county
North Carolina reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Asheville alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Buncombe County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat61.5%98,662 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican36.8%59,016 votesOthers: 1.8% (2,832 votes).
Most votes in Buncombe County: Kamala D Harris
North Carolina: Trump 50.9%, Harris 47.6%
100% of Asheville lies in Buncombe County. Every 2024 race in Buncombe County is on the county’s page.
Buncombe 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 Asheville.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: ashevillenc.gov ↗
- 2North Carolina HouseAsheville is split between 2 districts
- 3North Carolina SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of North Carolina
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Asheville compares with the towns next door
Asheville spent $1,551 per resident in 2022; the 4 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $514 to $2,862. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Mills River | $514 | $2,199 |
| Woodfin | $723 | $2,444 |
| Fletcher | $776 | $1,964 |
| Biltmore Forest | $2,862 | $8,464 |
| Asheville | $1,551 | $2,960 |
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 Asheville’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Asheville’s government
How much does Asheville spend per resident?
About $1,833 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 $1,551 was more than 89% of 35 North Carolina cities of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Asheville?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,960 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.67% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.66% across North Carolina. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see ashevillenc.gov.
Who runs Asheville’s government?
See ashevillenc.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Asheville yet.
How did Asheville vote in 2024?
North Carolina counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Asheville alone. Buncombe County, where 100% of Asheville lies, voted Harris 61.5%, Trump 36.8% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Asheville?
1,402 full-time and 144 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $8.6M (about $103.6M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Asheville in the state legislature?
Asheville is split among 2 State House districts, so your address decides. The North Carolina Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Its State Senate district is District 49 (Julie Mayfield). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Asheville’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 →