Photo: GreatSmokies · CC BY-SA 4.0Bryson City spent more per resident in 2022 than 88% of similar cities
Bryson City’s city government spent $3.4 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $2,340 per resident. Water and other utilities ($2.6 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Bryson City is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$2,340 per resident in 2022: more than 88% of them
Bryson City’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($2,340 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. Bryson City spent more than 88% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($1 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; Bryson City itself left out).
About $2,340 per resident a year, or $6.41 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 31%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Bryson City reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $1,223 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.50% 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 Bryson City’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 Bryson City’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Bryson City →
Who’s in charge in Bryson City
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Bryson City’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on brysoncitync.gov ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 36 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (1,443).
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.
Swain County Schools
Bryson City’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $14,840 per pupil, $8,912 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.
Bryson City’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 Bryson City alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Swain County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican61.1%4,311 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat37.5%2,643 votesOthers: 1.4% (98 votes).
Most votes in Swain County: Donald J Trump
North Carolina: Trump 50.9%, Harris 47.6%
100% of Bryson City lies in Swain County. Every 2024 race in Swain County is on the county’s page.
Swain 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 Bryson City.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: brysoncitync.gov ↗
- 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 Bryson City’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Bryson City’s government
How much does Bryson City spend per resident?
About $2,340 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $2,340 was more than 88% of 221 North Carolina cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Bryson City?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,223 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.50% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.66% across North Carolina. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see brysoncitync.gov.
Who runs Bryson City’s government?
See brysoncitync.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Bryson City yet.
How did Bryson City vote in 2024?
North Carolina counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Bryson City alone. Swain County, where 100% of Bryson City lies, voted Trump 61.1%, Harris 37.5% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Bryson City?
40 full-time and 10 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $162,299 (about $1.9M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Bryson City in the state legislature?
State Senate District 50 (Kevin Corbin) and State House District 119 (Anna Ferguson). The House district also covers seven other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Bryson City’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 →