Photo: Maria Miracoli · CC BY-SA 4.0Durham spent more per resident in 2022 than 68% of similar cities
Durham’s city government spent $373.4 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2023, about $1,308 per resident. That is its newest year reported to the Census Bureau. Water and other utilities ($72.2 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Durham is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
Who’s in charge in Durham
From public records with a current term; a name is hidden the day its term ends.
Council members and agencies: durhamnc.gov ↗
Durham’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on durhamnc.gov ↗.
About $1,308 per resident a year, or $3.58 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 23%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,215 per resident in 2022: more than 68% of them
Durham’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,215 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 418 North Carolina cities that don’t run their own schools: the median was $956, and the middle half spent $513–$1,395. Durham spent more than 68% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($68.9 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 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Durham itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is up 8% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Durham 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: $1,215 · 2023: $1,308.
full-time in March 2025, down from 2,416 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 $3,263 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.83% 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 Durham’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 Durham’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Durham →
One full-time city employee for every 120 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2023 finance file (285,527).
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.
Durham Public Schools
Durham’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $15,851 per pupil, $9,563 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.
Durham’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 Durham alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Durham County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat79.8%144,450 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican18.2%32,852 votesOthers: 2.0% (3,609 votes).
Most votes in Durham County: Kamala D Harris
North Carolina: Trump 50.9%, Harris 47.6%
100% of Durham lies in Durham County; the rest in Wake County, Orange County. Every 2024 race in Durham County is on the county’s page.
Durham 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
Durham sends 4 representatives to the North Carolina House alone.
- 1Your cityMayorLeonardo Williamsas listed by Open States, October 9, 2026
- 2North Carolina HouseDurham is split between 4 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 Durham compares with the towns next door
Durham spent $1,215 per resident in 2022; the 4 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $1,102 to $1,231. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Raleigh | $1,102 | $3,048 |
| Morrisville | $1,164 | $4,078 |
| Chapel Hill | $1,166 | $7,191 |
| Cary | $1,231 | $4,142 |
| Durham | $1,215 | $3,263 |
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 Durham’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Durham’s government
How much does Durham spend per resident?
About $1,308 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 $1,215 was more than 68% of 418 North Carolina cities that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Durham?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,263 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.83% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.66% across North Carolina. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see durhamnc.gov.
Who is the mayor of Durham?
Leonardo Williams, as listed by Open States (checked October 9, 2026). The council and agencies are listed on durhamnc.gov.
How did Durham vote in 2024?
North Carolina counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Durham alone. Durham County, where 100% of Durham lies, voted Harris 79.8%, Trump 18.2% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Durham?
2,383 full-time and 289 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $16.9M (about $203.3M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Durham in the state legislature?
Durham is split among 4 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 Durham’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 →