Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to Elizabethtown

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
Trinity Methodist ChurchTrinity Methodist Church · Photo: Nyttend · Public domain
Town Hall · Elizabethtown

Elizabethtown spent more per resident in 2022 than 93% of similar cities

Elizabethtown’s town government spent $6.5 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $1,996 per resident. Water and other utilities ($2.4 million) are counted separately.

Town website
Day-to-day spending, 2024
$6.5M
year to June 30, 2024
Per resident, 2024
$1,996
In 2022: $2,411, more than 93% of 119 similar cities
Long-term debt
$2.5M
end of FY2024, reported
Town staff, 2022
48
full-time · 18 part-time · March payroll $189,499
Typical tax bill
$1,214
0.76% of home value · NC 0.66%

What stands out about how Elizabethtown is run

Read from the town’s budget and official records.

Compared with similar places

$2,411 per resident in 2022: more than 93% of them

Elizabethtown’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($2,411 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 119 North Carolina cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $967, and the middle half spent $462–$1,402. Elizabethtown spent more than 93% of them.

Middle half of the group, $462–$1,402Median $967Elizabethtown

Includes sewer and trash ($632,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →

The group
119

North Carolina cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Elizabethtown itself left out).

Your share of the 2024 budget

About $1,996 per resident a year, or $5.47 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 21%.

Where the money comes from
From the state 32%Utility sales 16%From the federal government 16%Fees & charges 15%Property taxes 12%Sales taxes 6%Interest, fines & other 4%Other taxes & licenses <1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $6.5 million; interest on debt $161,000; payments to other governments $7,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $15.7 million.
Over the years

Day-to-day spending is down 20% since 2022

Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Elizabethtown reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.

Day-to-day spending by fiscal year

2022$8.1 million
2023$6.4 million
2024$6.5 million

Per resident: 2022: $2,411 · 2023: $2,034 · 2024: $1,996.

Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $1,214 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.76% of the home’s value, vs 0.66% across North Carolina.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

North Carolina$1,896
Elizabethtown$1,214
$1,214
typical bill a year
0.76%
effective rate
$159,200
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Elizabethtown’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 Elizabethtown’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Elizabethtown →

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Elizabethtown

Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.

See elizabethtownnc.org for Elizabethtown’s current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Elizabethtown yet.elizabethtownnc.org ↗
Agendas

Elizabethtown’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on elizabethtownnc.org ↗.

Who works for Elizabethtown

One full-time town employee for every 68 residents

On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (3,265).

By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022

Police17
Fire7 + 3 pt
Water & other utilities8
Administration & buildings3 + 7 pt
Roads & transportation4 + 1 pt
Sewer & trash1 + 2 pt
Parks & libraries1
Other7 + 5 pt
48
full-time
18
part-time
$189,499
payroll for March 2022
$2.3M
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$45,000
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
16
sworn police officers
7
full-time firefighters
Compared, 2022.Elizabethtown had 14.2 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 110 of the 119 North Carolina cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 9.2: Elizabethtown had more than 83% of them. Same group and year as the budget comparison.

The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.

The school district

Bladen County Schools

Elizabethtown’s K–12 school district, shared with Bladenboro, Clarkton, Dublin, East Arcadia, Tar Heel and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Elizabethtown →
$16,460
per pupil · NC $13,045
3,843
students
$4.3 million
long-term debt

Of the $16,460 per pupil, $9,230 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.

The district: schools, scores and graduation →

Where the district’s money comes from
Local 13%State 64%Federal 24%

North Carolina districts overall: 26% local, 57% state, 17% federal.

School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.

Elections · 2024 general election

Elizabethtown’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 Elizabethtown alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Bladen County’s results.

President · Bladen County’s results16,764 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican59.9%10,035 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat39.5%6,620 votes

Others: 0.7% (109 votes).

Most votes in Bladen County: Donald J Trump

North Carolina: Trump 50.9%, Harris 47.6%

The county’s page

100% of Elizabethtown lies in Bladen County. Every 2024 race in Bladen County is on the county’s page.

Bladen County’s 2024 results →
DemocratRepublicanLibertarianIndependent / other

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.

Who represents Elizabethtown

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Elizabethtown.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your townTown government
  2. 2
    North Carolina HouseState representatives
  3. 3
    North Carolina SenateState senator
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of North Carolina

Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.

Reach Elizabethtown’s government

The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Elizabethtown’s government

How much does Elizabethtown spend per resident?

About $1,996 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 $2,411 was more than 93% of 119 North Carolina cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Elizabethtown?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,214 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.76% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.66% across North Carolina. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see elizabethtownnc.org.

Who runs Elizabethtown’s government?

See elizabethtownnc.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Elizabethtown yet.

How did Elizabethtown vote in 2024?

North Carolina counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Elizabethtown alone. Bladen County, where 100% of Elizabethtown lies, voted Trump 59.9%, Harris 39.5% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Elizabethtown?

48 full-time and 18 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $189,499 (about $2.3M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Elizabethtown in the state legislature?

State Senate District 9 (Brent Jackson) and State House District 22 (William Brisson). The House district also covers 15 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Elizabethtown’s government

Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.

Town Square →
Ask neighbors

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 →