Carpenter Historic District · Photo: KimWrenn · CC BY-SA 3.0Cary spent more per resident in 2022 than 67% of similar cities
Cary’s town government spent $244.8 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $1,357 per resident. Water and other utilities ($85.6 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Cary is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$1,231 per resident in 2022: more than 67% of them
Cary’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,231 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 18 North Carolina cities of 100,000–249,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,182, and the middle half spent $1,046–$1,276. Cary spent more than 67% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($11.7 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 100,000–249,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Cary itself left out).
About $1,357 per resident a year, or $3.72 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 16%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 15% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Cary 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: $1,231 · 2023: $1,224 · 2024: $1,357.
full-time in March 2025, up from 1,282 in 2022. Both are Census estimates.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $4,142 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.71% 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 Cary’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 Cary’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Cary →
Who’s in charge in Cary
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Cary’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on carync.gov ↗.
One full-time town employee for every 124 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (180,388).
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.
Wake County Schools
Cary’s K–12 school district, shared with Fuquay-Varina, Garner, Holly Springs, Knightdale, Rolesville and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $12,279 per pupil, $8,085 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.
Chatham County Schools · $14,187 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Cary’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 Cary alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Wake County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat61.7%402,984 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican36.2%236,735 votesOthers: 2.1% (13,861 votes).
Most votes in Wake County: Kamala D Harris
North Carolina: Trump 50.9%, Harris 47.6%
98% of Cary lies in Wake County; the rest in Chatham County. Every 2024 race in Wake County is on the county’s page.
Wake 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
Cary sends 6 representatives to the North Carolina House alone.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: carync.gov ↗
- 2North Carolina HouseCary is split between 6 districts
- 3North Carolina SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseSplit between districts
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of North Carolina
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Cary compares with the towns next door
Cary spent $1,231 per resident in 2022; the 5 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $1,020 to $1,215. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Apex | $1,020 | $4,001 |
| Raleigh | $1,102 | $3,048 |
| Holly Springs | $1,149 | $4,087 |
| Morrisville | $1,164 | $4,078 |
| Durham | $1,215 | $3,263 |
| Cary | $1,231 | $4,142 |
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 Cary’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Cary’s government
How much does Cary spend per resident?
About $1,357 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 $1,231 was more than 67% of 18 North Carolina cities of 100,000–249,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Cary?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $4,142 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.71% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.66% across North Carolina. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see carync.gov.
Who runs Cary’s government?
See carync.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Cary yet.
How did Cary vote in 2024?
North Carolina counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Cary alone. Wake County, where 98% of Cary lies, voted Harris 61.7%, Trump 36.2% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Cary?
1,453 full-time and 476 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $11.3M (about $136.2M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Cary in the state legislature?
Cary is split among 6 State House districts and 4 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 Cary’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 →