Photo: DiscoA340 · CC BY-SA 4.0Kure Beach spent more per resident in 2022 than 91% of similar cities
Kure Beach’s town government spent $6.7 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2023, about $3,100 per resident. Water and other utilities ($713,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Kure Beach is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$2,833 per resident in 2022: more than 91% of them
Kure Beach’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($2,833 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 221 North Carolina cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $800, and the middle half spent $425–$1,295. Kure Beach spent more than 91% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($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 under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Kure Beach itself left out).
About $3,100 per resident a year, or $8.49 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 32%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 13% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Kure Beach 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: $2,833 · 2023: $3,100.
full-time in March 2025, up from 49 in 2022. Both are Census estimates.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $3,906 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.53% 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 Kure Beach’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. In a town this small the estimate has a wide margin.
Tax bills are one input to Kure Beach’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Kure Beach →
Who’s in charge in Kure Beach
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Kure Beach’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on townofkurebeach.org ↗.
One full-time town employee for every 38 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 (2,148).
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.
New Hanover County Schools
Kure Beach’s K–12 school district, shared with Carolina Beach, Wilmington, Wrightsville Beach. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $14,042 per pupil, $8,492 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.
Kure Beach’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 Kure Beach alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are New Hanover County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat49.6%68,814 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican49.0%67,949 votesOthers: 1.4% (1,971 votes).
Most votes in New Hanover County: Kamala D Harris
North Carolina: Trump 50.9%, Harris 47.6%
100% of Kure Beach lies in New Hanover County. Every 2024 race in New Hanover County is on the county’s page.
New Hanover 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 Kure Beach.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: townofkurebeach.org ↗
- 2North Carolina HouseState representatives
- 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 Kure Beach compares with the towns next door
Kure Beach spent $2,833 per resident in 2022; the neighbor that reported 2022 spent $2,656. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Carolina Beach | $2,656 | $2,822 |
| Kure Beach | $2,833 | $3,906 |
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 Kure Beach’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Kure Beach’s government
How much does Kure Beach spend per resident?
About $3,100 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 $2,833 was more than 91% of 221 North Carolina cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Kure Beach?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,906 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.53% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.66% across North Carolina. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see townofkurebeach.org.
Who runs Kure Beach’s government?
See townofkurebeach.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Kure Beach yet.
How did Kure Beach vote in 2024?
North Carolina counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Kure Beach alone. New Hanover County, where 100% of Kure Beach lies, voted Harris 49.6%, Trump 49.0% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Kure Beach?
56 full-time and 14 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $348,161 (about $4.2M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Kure Beach in the state legislature?
State Senate District 7 (Michael Lee) and State House District 19 (Charlie Miller). The House district also covers 11 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Kure Beach’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 →