Photo: Brian Stansberry · CC BY 4.0Belwood spent less per resident in 2022 than 96% of similar cities
Belwood’s town government spent $115,000 on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2023, about $132 per resident.
What stands out about how Belwood is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$54 per resident in 2022: less than 96% of them
Belwood’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($54 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 $803, and the middle half spent $435–$1,365. Belwood spent less than 96% of 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; Belwood itself left out).
About $132 per resident a year, or $0.36 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 67%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 121% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Belwood 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: $54 · 2023: $132. Per resident it went from $54 to $132 (up 144%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 963 to 868.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $1,127 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.53% 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 Belwood’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 Belwood’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Belwood →
Who’s in charge in Belwood
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Cleveland County Schools
Belwood’s K–12 school district, shared with Boiling Springs, Casar, Earl, Fallston, Grover and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $12,565 per pupil, $7,825 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.
Belwood’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 Belwood alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Cleveland County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican67.0%34,654 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat32.1%16,603 votesOthers: 0.9% (449 votes).
Most votes in Cleveland County: Donald J Trump
North Carolina: Trump 50.9%, Harris 47.6%
100% of Belwood lies in Cleveland County. Every 2024 race in Cleveland County is on the county’s page.
Cleveland 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 Belwood.
- 1Your townTown governmentLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 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 Belwood’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Belwood’s government
How much does Belwood spend per resident?
About $132 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 $54 was less than 96% of 221 North Carolina cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Belwood?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,127 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.53% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.66% across North Carolina. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the town’s assessor.
Who runs Belwood’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Belwood yet.
How did Belwood vote in 2024?
North Carolina counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Belwood alone. Cleveland County, where 100% of Belwood lies, voted Trump 67.0%, Harris 32.1% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Belwood?
0 full-time and 2 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $1,098 (about $13,176 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Belwood in the state legislature?
State Senate District 44 (Ted Alexander) and State House District 110 (Kelly Hastings). The House district also covers 12 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Belwood’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 →