Photo: Brian Stansberry · CC BY 4.0Columbus spent less per resident in 2022 than 98% of similar cities
Columbus’ town government spent $7,000 on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $7 per resident. Water and other utilities ($620,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Columbus is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$7 per resident in 2022: less than 98% of them
Columbus’ day-to-day spending in 2022 ($7 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. Columbus spent less than 98% 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; Columbus itself left out).
About $7 per resident a year, or $0.02 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: health & welfare, at 57%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Columbus reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $1,895 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 Columbus’ 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 Columbus’ Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Columbus →
Who’s in charge in Columbus
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Columbus’ meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on columbusnc.com ↗.
One full-time town employee for every 59 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 (1,007).
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.
Polk County Schools
Columbus’ K–12 school district, shared with Tryon, Saluda. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $16,033 per pupil, $9,708 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.
Columbus’ votes are counted by county
North Carolina reports official results by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Columbus alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Polk County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican62.0%8,107 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat36.9%4,827 votesOthers: 1.0% (134 votes).
Most votes in Polk County: Donald J Trump
North Carolina: Trump 50.9%, Harris 47.6%
100% of Columbus lies in Polk County. Every 2024 race in Polk County is on the county’s page.
Polk 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 Columbus.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: columbusnc.com ↗
- 2North Carolina HouseState representatives
- 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.
Reach Columbus’ government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Columbus’ government
How much does Columbus spend per resident?
About $7 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 $7 was less than 98% of 221 North Carolina cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Columbus?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,895 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 columbusnc.com.
Who runs Columbus’ government?
See columbusnc.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Columbus yet.
How did Columbus vote in 2024?
North Carolina counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Columbus alone. Polk County, where 100% of Columbus lies, voted Trump 62.0%, Harris 36.9% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Columbus?
17 full-time and 12 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $84,442 (about $1.0M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Columbus in the state legislature?
State Senate District 48 (Tim Moffitt) and State House District 113 (Jake Johnson). The House district also covers 11 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Columbus’ 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 →