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CSS NEUSE (Ironclad Gunboat)CSS NEUSE (Ironclad Gunboat) · Photo: Katyrw · CC BY-SA 4.0
Town Hall · Kinston

How is Kinston run?

Kinston’s city government spent $32.5 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2023, about $1,661 per resident. Water and other utilities ($46.8 million) are counted separately.

Town website
Election Day

Tomorrow

General election in North Carolina.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2023
$32.5M
year to June 30, 2023
Per resident, 2023
$1,661
2022 was an estimate · not compared
Long-term debt
$16.0M
end of FY2023, reported
City staff, 2025
295
full-time · 78 part-time · March payroll $2.2M · Census estimate
Typical tax bill
$1,258
1.05% of home value · NC 0.66%

What stands out about how Kinston is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

Runs its own water & sewer70% of day-to-day spending goes to water, sewer and trash (2023).A shared school districtShares Lenoir County Schools with 2 other towns.Its own police and fire54 sworn officers and 54 full-time firefighters on the payroll.Low bills, a higher rateThe typical bill is $1,258 a year: 1.05% of the home’s value, vs 0.66% across North Carolina.
★ What stands out · Your share of the 2023 budget

About $1,661 per resident a year, or $4.55 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 26%.

Where the money comes from
Utility sales 57%Fees & charges 16%Property taxes 12%From the state 8%Sales taxes 6%Interest, fines & other 1%Other taxes & licenses <1%From the federal government <1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $3.5 million; interest on debt $463,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $83.4 million.
Compared with similar places · Over the years

No comparison or trend for Kinston yet

The fair comparison uses 2022, the last year the Census Bureau counted every government (later years are a sample), and Kinston’s 2022 figures are a Census estimate (it reported 24% of its 2022 dollars). It reported 2023 only (2022 is an estimate), so there is no trend yet either. The next full count is 2027.

How Town Hall compares budgets →
City staff
295

full-time in March 2025, up from 271 in 2022. Both are Census estimates.

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $1,258 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.05% 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
Kinston$1,258
$1,258
typical bill a year
1.05%
effective rate
$119,300
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Kinston

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

See ci.kinston.nc.us for Kinston’s current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Kinston yet.ci.kinston.nc.us ↗
Agendas

Kinston’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on ci.kinston.nc.us ↗.

Who works for Kinston

One full-time city employee for every 66 residents

On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2023 finance file (19,546).

By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025

Police59 + 25 pt
Fire55
Sewer & trash45 + 3 pt
Administration & buildings38 + 8 pt
Parks & libraries20 + 38 pt
Water & other utilities37 + 1 pt
Roads & transportation19 + 2 pt
Health & welfare2
Other20 + 1 pt
295
full-time
78
part-time
$2.2M
payroll for March 2025
$26.0M
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$85,500
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
54
sworn police officers
54
full-time firefighters
Estimates.Kinston didn’t report its staff figures; these are the Census Bureau’s estimates, so they aren’t compared with other towns.

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

Lenoir County Schools

Kinston’s K–12 school district, shared with La Grange, Pink Hill. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Kinston →
$13,055
per pupil · NC $13,045
8,372
students
$17.1 million
long-term debt

Of the $13,055 per pupil, $7,935 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 12%State 60%Federal 28%

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

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Kinston’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 Kinston alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Lenoir County’s results.

President · Lenoir County’s results27,503 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican53.0%14,564 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat46.2%12,700 votes

Others: 0.9% (239 votes).

Most votes in Lenoir County: Donald J Trump

North Carolina: Trump 50.9%, Harris 47.6%

The county’s page

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

Lenoir 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 Kinston

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Kinston.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Officials: ci.kinston.nc.us ↗
  2. 2
    North Carolina HouseState representatives
    Chris Humphrey
  3. 3
    North Carolina SenateState senator
    Bob Brinson
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
    Josh Stein
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
    Donald G. Davis
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of North Carolina
    Thom TillisTed Budd

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

Reach Kinston’s government

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

The Handbook →
Official websiteci.kinston.nc.us ↗

Questions about Kinston’s government

How much does Kinston spend per resident?

About $1,661 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2023, as reported to the Census Bureau.

What is the property tax rate in Kinston?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,258 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.05% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.66% across North Carolina. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see ci.kinston.nc.us.

Who runs Kinston’s government?

See ci.kinston.nc.us for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Kinston yet.

How did Kinston vote in 2024?

North Carolina counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Kinston alone. Lenoir County, where 100% of Kinston lies, voted Trump 53.0%, Harris 46.2% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Kinston?

295 full-time and 78 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $2.2M (about $26.0M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.

Who represents Kinston in the state legislature?

State Senate District 3 (Bob Brinson) and State House District 12 (Chris Humphrey). The House district also covers nine other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Kinston’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 →