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Town Hall · Lincolnton

How is Lincolnton run?

Lincolnton’s city government spent $16.1 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $1,363 per resident. Water and other utilities ($14.8 million) are counted separately.

Town website
Next public meeting

City Council

6:30 pm · P.O. Box 617, 114 W. Sycamore Street

All meetings →
Day-to-day spending, 2024
$16.1M
year to June 30, 2024
Per resident, 2024
$1,363
In 2022: $1,278, more than 61% of 36 similar cities
Long-term debt
Not reported
end of FY2024, reported
City staff, 2022
168
full-time · 52 part-time · March payroll $748,194
Typical tax bill
$1,970
0.79% of home value · NC 0.66%

What stands out about how Lincolnton is run

Read from the city’s budget, meetings and official records.

Agendas posted online6 upcoming meetings posted, with agendas.Runs its own water & sewer57% of day-to-day spending goes to water, sewer and trash (2024).Its own police and fire32 sworn officers and 37 full-time firefighters on the payroll.
★ What stands out · Meetings

6 upcoming meetings at town hall

From Lincolnton’s own agenda portal, checked daily. Agendas can change up to the meeting, so check before you go.

Recent meetings

Go in person

Most meetings are open to the public, and many have a public comment period at the start.

Agenda portal ↗
Your share of the 2024 budget

About $1,363 per resident a year, or $3.73 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: fire, at 26%.

Where the money comes from
Utility sales 38%Property taxes 19%Sales taxes 13%Fees & charges 11%Interest, fines & other 9%From the state 8%Other taxes & licenses 1%From other local governments <1%From the federal government <1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $5.9 million; interest on debt $129,000; payments to other governments $14,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $36.9 million.
Compared with similar places

$1,278 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities

Lincolnton’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,278 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–$1,468. Lincolnton spent more than 61% of them.

Middle half of the group, $810–$1,468Median $1,056Lincolnton

Includes sewer and trash ($2.4 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; Lincolnton itself left out).

Over the years

Day-to-day spending is up 9% since 2022

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

Day-to-day spending by fiscal year

2022$14.7 million
2023$14.4 million
2024$16.1 million

Per resident: 2022: $1,278 · 2023: $1,267 · 2024: $1,363.

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 $1,970 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.79% of the home’s value, vs 0.66% across North Carolina.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Lincolnton$1,970
North Carolina$1,896
$1,970
typical bill a year
0.79%
effective rate
$248,700
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Lincolnton

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

See ci.lincolnton.nc.us for Lincolnton’s current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Lincolnton yet.ci.lincolnton.nc.us ↗
Who works for Lincolnton

One full-time city employee for every 70 residents

On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (11,818).

By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022

Fire38 + 11 pt
Police35 + 3 pt
Sewer & trash28
Administration & buildings25 + 2 pt
Water & other utilities17
Parks & libraries6 + 20 pt
Roads & transportation11
Other8 + 16 pt
168
full-time
52
part-time
$748,194
payroll for March 2022
$9.0M
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$50,200
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
32
sworn police officers
37
full-time firefighters
Compared, 2022.Lincolnton had 14.6 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: Lincolnton had more than 72% 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

Lincoln County Schools

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

Schools in Lincolnton →
$11,392
per pupil · NC $13,045
11,642
students
$16.7 million
long-term debt

Of the $11,392 per pupil, $7,328 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 26%State 62%Federal 12%

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

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Lincolnton’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 Lincolnton alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Lincoln County’s results.

President · Lincoln County’s results55,582 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican72.3%40,183 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat26.7%14,842 votes

Others: 1.0% (557 votes).

Most votes in Lincoln County: Donald J Trump

North Carolina: Trump 50.9%, Harris 47.6%

The county’s page

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

Lincoln 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 Lincolnton

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Lincolnton.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Officials: ci.lincolnton.nc.us ↗
  2. 2
    North Carolina HouseState representatives
    Heather Rhyne
  3. 3
    North Carolina SenateState senator
    Ted Alexander
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
    Josh Stein
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
    Pat Harrigan
  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 Lincolnton’s government

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

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

Questions about Lincolnton’s government

How much does Lincolnton spend per resident?

About $1,363 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 $1,278 was more than 61% of 36 North Carolina cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Lincolnton?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,970 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.79% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.66% across North Carolina. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see ci.lincolnton.nc.us.

Who runs Lincolnton’s government?

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

How did Lincolnton vote in 2024?

North Carolina counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Lincolnton alone. Lincoln County, where 100% of Lincolnton lies, voted Trump 72.3%, Harris 26.7% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Lincolnton?

168 full-time and 52 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $748,194 (about $9.0M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Lincolnton in the state legislature?

State Senate District 44 (Ted Alexander) and State House District 97 (Heather Rhyne). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

When is the next public meeting in Lincolnton?

The next posted meeting is City Council on Thursday, November 5, at 6:30 pm in P.O. Box 617, 114 W. Sycamore Street, from the city’s own agenda portal.

Ask neighbors about Lincolnton’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 →