Pelletier House and Wantland Spring · Photo: Hammerattack at en.wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0Jacksonville spent less per resident in 2022 than 86% of similar cities
Jacksonville’s city government spent $70.4 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $1,000 per resident. Water and other utilities ($7.6 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Jacksonville is run
Read from the city’s budget, meetings and official records.
6 upcoming meetings at town hall
From Jacksonville’s own agenda portal, checked daily. Agendas can change up to the meeting, so check before you go.
- Nov4City CouncilWednesday · 5:30 pm · Meeting Rooms A & B, City Hall, 815 New Bridge StreetCity Council Regular Workshop MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov9Planning Advisory BoardMonday · 6:00 pm · 815 New Bridge StreetPlanning Advisory Board MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov17City CouncilTuesday · 5:30 pm · Council Chambers, City Hall, 815 New Bridge StreetCity Council Regular MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov19Tourism Development AuthorityThursday · 3:30 pm · Council Chambers, City Hall, 815 New Bridge StreetTourism Development Authority Regular MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov23Recreation and Parks Advisory CommitteeMonday · 6:00 pm · Meeting Rooms A & B, City Hall, 815 New Bridge StreetRecreation and Parks Advisory Committee MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov25Board of AdjustmentWednesday · 4:00 pm · 815 New Bridge Street, Council ChambersMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
Recent meetings
- Oct29Tourism Development AuthorityThursday · 3:30 pm · Onslow Room, 1300 N Marine BoulevardTourism Development Authority Workshop MeetingMeeting page ↗
- Oct28Board of AdjustmentWednesday · 4:00 pm · 815 New Bridge Street, Council ChambersMeeting page ↗
- Oct26Neighborhood Improvement Services Advisory CommitteeMonday · 5:00 pm · Meeting Rooms A & B, City Hall, 815 New Bridge StreetNeighborhood Improvement Services Advisory Committee MeetingMeeting page ↗
- Oct20City CouncilTuesday · 5:30 pm · Council Chambers, City Hall, 815 New Bridge StreetCity Council Regular MeetingMeeting page ↗
- Oct12Planning Advisory BoardMonday · 6:00 pm · 815 New Bridge Street, Council ChambersPlanning Advisory Board MeetingMeeting page ↗
Most meetings are open to the public, and many have a public comment period at the start.
Agenda portal ↗About $1,000 per resident a year, or $2.74 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 26%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$792 per resident in 2022: less than 86% of them
Jacksonville’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($792 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 35 North Carolina cities of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,200, and the middle half spent $1,046–$1,444. Jacksonville spent less than 86% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($15.2 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 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Jacksonville itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is up 17% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Jacksonville 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: $792 · 2023: $903 · 2024: $1,000. Per resident it went from $792 to $1,000 (up 26%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 76,284 to 70,420.
full-time in March 2025, up from 546 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 $1,870 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.89% 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 Jacksonville’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 Jacksonville’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Jacksonville →
Who’s in charge in Jacksonville
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time city employee for every 122 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (70,420).
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.
Onslow County Schools
Jacksonville’s K–12 school district, shared with Holly Ridge, North Topsail Beach, Richlands, Swansboro. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $12,029 per pupil, $7,721 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.
Jacksonville’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 Jacksonville alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Onslow County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican67.3%54,960 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat31.4%25,684 votesOthers: 1.3% (1,037 votes).
Most votes in Onslow County: Donald J Trump
North Carolina: Trump 50.9%, Harris 47.6%
100% of Jacksonville lies in Onslow County. Every 2024 race in Onslow County is on the county’s page.
Onslow 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 Jacksonville.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: ci.jacksonville.nc.us ↗
- 2North Carolina HouseJacksonville 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.
How Jacksonville compares with the towns next door
Jacksonville spent $792 per resident in 2022. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Jacksonville | $792 | $1,870 |
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 Jacksonville’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Jacksonville’s government
How much does Jacksonville spend per resident?
About $1,000 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 $792 was less than 86% of 35 North Carolina cities of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Jacksonville?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,870 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.89% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.66% across North Carolina. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see ci.jacksonville.nc.us.
Who runs Jacksonville’s government?
See ci.jacksonville.nc.us for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Jacksonville yet.
How did Jacksonville vote in 2024?
North Carolina counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Jacksonville alone. Onslow County, where 100% of Jacksonville lies, voted Trump 67.3%, Harris 31.4% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Jacksonville?
577 full-time and 81 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $3.0M (about $36.1M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Jacksonville in the state legislature?
Jacksonville is split among 2 State House districts, so your address decides. The North Carolina Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Its State Senate district is District 6 (Michael Lazzara). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
When is the next public meeting in Jacksonville?
The next posted meeting is City Council on Wednesday, November 4, at 5:30 pm in Meeting Rooms A & B, City Hall, 815 New Bridge Street, from the city’s own agenda portal.
Ask neighbors about Jacksonville’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 →