Photo: KudzuVine · Public domainBald Head Island spent more per resident in 2022 than 100% of similar cities
Bald Head Island’s village government spent $12.8 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2023, about $47,747 per resident. Water and other utilities ($899,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Bald Head Island is run
Read from the village’s budget and official records.
$50,134 per resident in 2022: more than 100% of them
Bald Head Island’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($50,134 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 221 North Carolina cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $800, and the middle half spent $425–$1,295. Bald Head Island spent more than 100% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($1.6 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 under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Bald Head Island itself left out).
About $47,747 per resident a year, or $130.81 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 31%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 38% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Bald Head Island 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: $50,134 · 2023: $47,747. Per resident it went from $50,134 to $47,747 (down 5%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 186 to 269.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $9,598 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.70% 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 Bald Head Island’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 Bald Head Island’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Bald Head Island →
Who’s in charge in Bald Head Island
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Bald Head Island’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The village posts agendas and minutes on villagebhi.org ↗.
One full-time village employee for every 4 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2023 finance file (269).
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.
Brunswick County Schools
Bald Head Island’s K–12 school district, shared with Belville, Boiling Spring Lakes, Bolivia, Calabash, Carolina Shores and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $13,563 per pupil, $7,787 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.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Bald Head Island’s votes are counted by county
North Carolina reports official results by county and precinct, not by village, so there are no official results for Bald Head Island alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Brunswick County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican61.9%67,658 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat37.1%40,557 votesOthers: 1.1% (1,163 votes).
Most votes in Brunswick County: Donald J Trump
North Carolina: Trump 50.9%, Harris 47.6%
100% of Bald Head Island lies in Brunswick County. Every 2024 race in Brunswick County is on the county’s page.
Brunswick 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 Bald Head Island.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: villagebhi.org ↗
- 2North Carolina HouseState representatives
- 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.
Reach Bald Head Island’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Bald Head Island’s government
How much does Bald Head Island spend per resident?
About $47,747 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2023, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $50,134 was more than 100% of 221 North Carolina cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Bald Head Island?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $9,598 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.70% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.66% across North Carolina. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see villagebhi.org.
Who runs Bald Head Island’s government?
See villagebhi.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Bald Head Island yet.
How did Bald Head Island vote in 2024?
North Carolina counts votes by county and precinct, not by village, so there are no official results for Bald Head Island alone. Brunswick County, where 100% of Bald Head Island lies, voted Trump 61.9%, Harris 37.1% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Bald Head Island?
65 full-time and 0 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $388,661 (about $4.7M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Bald Head Island in the state legislature?
State Senate District 8 (Bill Rabon) and State House District 19 (Charlie Miller). The House district also covers 11 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Bald Head Island’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 →