Photo: Ak1047 · CC BY-SA 4.0Burlington spent less per resident in 2022 than 74% of similar cities
Burlington’s city government spent $76.1 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $1,284 per resident. Water and other utilities ($31.3 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Burlington is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,044 per resident in 2022: less than 74% of them
Burlington’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,044 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 $1,034–$1,444. Burlington spent less than 74% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($3.5 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; Burlington itself left out).
About $1,284 per resident a year, or $3.52 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 39%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 31% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Burlington 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: $1,044 · 2023: $1,129 · 2024: $1,284. Per resident it went from $1,044 to $1,284 (up 23%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 55,599 to 59,287.
full-time in March 2025, up from 640 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 $1,489 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.75% 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 Burlington’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 Burlington’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Burlington →
Who’s in charge in Burlington
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Burlington’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on burlingtonnc.gov ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 84 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 (59,287).
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.
Alamance-Burlington Schools
Burlington’s K–12 school district, shared with Alamance, Elon, Graham, Green Level, Haw River and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $11,818 per pupil, $7,639 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.
Guilford County Schools · $14,307 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Burlington’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 Burlington alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Alamance County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican53.4%47,937 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat45.2%40,624 votesOthers: 1.4% (1,270 votes).
Most votes in Alamance County: Donald J Trump
North Carolina: Trump 50.9%, Harris 47.6%
96% of Burlington lies in Alamance County; the rest in Guilford County. Every 2024 race in Alamance County is on the county’s page.
Alamance 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 Burlington.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: burlingtonnc.gov ↗
- 2North Carolina HouseBurlington is split between 3 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 Burlington compares with the towns next door
Burlington spent $1,044 per resident in 2022; the 4 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $5 to $1,176. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Gibsonville | $5 | $2,481 |
| Whitsett | $260 | $1,745 |
| Elon | $568 | $2,646 |
| Haw River | $1,176 | $1,277 |
| Graham | estimate | $1,570 |
| Burlington | $1,044 | $1,489 |
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 Burlington’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Burlington’s government
How much does Burlington spend per resident?
About $1,284 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 $1,044 was less than 74% of 35 North Carolina cities of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Burlington?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,489 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.75% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.66% across North Carolina. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see burlingtonnc.gov.
Who runs Burlington’s government?
See burlingtonnc.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Burlington yet.
How did Burlington vote in 2024?
North Carolina counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Burlington alone. Alamance County, where 96% of Burlington lies, voted Trump 53.4%, Harris 45.2% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Burlington?
703 full-time and 274 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $4.4M (about $52.2M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Burlington in the state legislature?
Burlington is split among 3 State House districts and 2 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 Burlington’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 →