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Lexington, North Carolina Main StreetPhoto: Kenneth C. Zirkel · CC BY-SA 4.0
Town Hall · Lexington

Lexington spent more per resident in 2022 than 94% of similar cities

Lexington’s city government spent $40.9 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $2,077 per resident. Water and other utilities ($60 million) are counted separately.

Town website
Election Day

Today

General election in North Carolina.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2024
$40.9M
year to June 30, 2024
Per resident, 2024
$2,077
In 2022: $1,871, more than 94% of 36 similar cities
Long-term debt
$23.7M
end of FY2024, reported
City staff, 2025
348
full-time · 48 part-time · March payroll $2.0M
Typical tax bill
$1,400
0.78% of home value · NC 0.66%

What stands out about how Lexington is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

Compared with similar places

$1,871 per resident in 2022: more than 94% of them

Lexington’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,871 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 36 North Carolina cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,056, and the middle half spent $810–$1,408. Lexington spent more than 94% of them.

Middle half of the group, $810–$1,408Median $1,056Lexington

Includes sewer and trash ($8 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 →

The group
36

North Carolina cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Lexington itself left out).

Your share of the 2024 budget

About $2,077 per resident a year, or $5.69 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 23%.

Where the money comes from
Utility sales 62%Fees & charges 12%Property taxes 10%Sales taxes 7%Interest, fines & other 4%From the state 3%Other taxes & licenses 1%From the federal government <1%From other local governments <1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $2.4 million; interest on debt $305,000; payments to other governments $640,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $104.2 million.
Over the years

Day-to-day spending is up 14% since 2022

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

Day-to-day spending by fiscal year

2022$35.8 million
2023$36.8 million
2024$40.9 million

Per resident: 2022: $1,871 · 2023: $1,887 · 2024: $2,077.

City staff
348

full-time in March 2025, up from 323 in 2022.

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 $1,400 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.78% 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
Lexington$1,400
$1,400
typical bill a year
0.78%
effective rate
$179,900
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Lexington

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

See lexingtonnc.net for Lexington’s current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Lexington yet.lexingtonnc.net ↗
Agendas

Lexington’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on lexingtonnc.net ↗.

Who works for Lexington

One full-time city employee for every 57 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 (19,679).

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

Administration & buildings112 + 9 pt
Fire70
Police65 + 5 pt
Water & other utilities61
Parks & libraries9 + 14 pt
Sewer & trash11
Roads & transportation9
Other11 + 20 pt
348
full-time
48
part-time
$2.0M
payroll for March 2025
$24.3M
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$68,400
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
56
sworn police officers
70
full-time firefighters
Compared, 2022.Lexington had 16.9 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 32 of the 36 North Carolina cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 10.4: Lexington had more than 88% 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

Lexington City Schools

Lexington’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Lexington →
$13,428
per pupil · NC $13,045
2,941
students
None
long-term debt

Of the $13,428 per pupil, $7,962 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 22%State 57%Federal 21%

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

Also serving Lexington

Davidson County Schools · $11,050 per pupil

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Lexington’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 Lexington alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Davidson County’s results.

President · Davidson County’s results93,452 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican72.7%67,959 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat25.8%24,150 votes

Others: 1.4% (1,343 votes).

Most votes in Davidson County: Donald J Trump

North Carolina: Trump 50.9%, Harris 47.6%

The county’s page

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

Davidson 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 Lexington

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Lexington.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
  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 Lexington’s government

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

The Handbook →

Questions about Lexington’s government

How much does Lexington spend per resident?

About $2,077 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 $1,871 was more than 94% of 36 North Carolina cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Lexington?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,400 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.78% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.66% across North Carolina. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see lexingtonnc.net.

Who runs Lexington’s government?

See lexingtonnc.net for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Lexington yet.

How did Lexington vote in 2024?

North Carolina counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Lexington alone. Davidson County, where 100% of Lexington lies, voted Trump 72.7%, Harris 25.8% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Lexington?

348 full-time and 48 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $2.0M (about $24.3M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Lexington in the state legislature?

State Senate District 30 (Steve Jarvis) and State House District 81 (Larry Potts). The House district also covers parts of 1 neighboring town. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Lexington’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 →