How is High Shoals run?
High Shoals’ city government spent $0 on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $0 per resident. These are Census Bureau estimates: High Shoals didn’t report its figures, so this page shows them without comparisons.
What stands out about how High Shoals is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
Gaston County Schools
High Shoals’ K–12 school district, shared with Belmont, Bessemer City, Cherryville, Cramerton, Dallas and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $11,848 per pupil, $7,079 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.
No comparison or trend for High Shoals yet
Every year of High Shoals’ figures is a Census Bureau estimate: the city reported none of its dollars for 2022. Estimates are shown above, labeled, but never ranked against places that reported or drawn as a trend.
How Town Hall compares budgets →The typical homeowner pays $1,929 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.84% 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 High Shoals’ 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 High Shoals’ Cost of living grade. Cost of living in High Shoals →
Who’s in charge in High Shoals
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time city employee for every 252 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 (757).
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.
High Shoals’ votes are counted by county
North Carolina reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for High Shoals alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Gaston County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican61.9%73,828 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat36.9%44,062 votesOthers: 1.1% (1,366 votes).
Most votes in Gaston County: Donald J Trump
North Carolina: Trump 50.9%, Harris 47.6%
100% of High Shoals lies in Gaston County. Every 2024 race in Gaston County is on the county’s page.
Gaston 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 High Shoals.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 2North Carolina HouseHigh Shoals is split between 2 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.
Reach High Shoals’ government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about High Shoals’ government
How much does High Shoals spend per resident?
About $0 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, a Census Bureau estimate (High Shoals didn’t report its figures). With building projects and interest, the whole budget was about $7,000.
What is the property tax rate in High Shoals?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,929 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.84% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.66% across North Carolina. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the city’s assessor.
Who runs High Shoals’ government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for High Shoals yet.
How did High Shoals vote in 2024?
North Carolina counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for High Shoals alone. Gaston County, where 100% of High Shoals lies, voted Trump 61.9%, Harris 36.9% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for High Shoals?
3 full-time and 8 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $13,607 (about $163,284 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents High Shoals in the state legislature?
High Shoals is split among 2 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 High Shoals’ 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 (for High Shoals, the Bureau’s estimates); 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 →