Reed Gold Mine · Photo: Bang-Ning Hsu from Durham (NC, USA), Taiwan · CC BY-SA 2.0Locust spent more per resident in 2022 than 71% of similar cities
Locust’s city government spent $4.2 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $1,299 per resident. Water and other utilities ($2.8 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Locust is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,299 per resident in 2022: more than 71% of them
Locust’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,299 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 119 North Carolina cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $967, and the middle half spent $462–$1,448. Locust spent more than 71% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($1.3 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 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Locust itself left out).
About $1,299 per resident a year, or $3.56 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 32%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Locust reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $2,136 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.66% 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 Locust’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 Locust’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Locust →
Who’s in charge in Locust
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Locust’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on locustnc.com ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 113 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (3,270).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Stanly County Schools
Locust’s K–12 school district, shared with Albemarle, Badin, Misenheimer, New London, Norwood and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $11,481 per pupil, $7,019 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.
Cabarrus County Schools · $11,026 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Locust’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 Locust alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Stanly County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican75.0%27,518 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat24.2%8,881 votesOthers: 0.9% (315 votes).
Most votes in Stanly County: Donald J Trump
North Carolina: Trump 50.9%, Harris 47.6%
88% of Locust lies in Stanly County; the rest in Cabarrus County. Every 2024 race in Stanly County is on the county’s page.
Stanly 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 Locust.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: locustnc.com ↗
- 2North Carolina HouseLocust 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 Locust compares with the towns next door
Locust spent $1,299 per resident in 2022; the 3 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $272 to $784. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
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 Locust’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Locust’s government
How much does Locust spend per resident?
About $1,299 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,299 was more than 71% of 119 North Carolina cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Locust?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,136 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.66% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.66% across North Carolina. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see locustnc.com.
Who runs Locust’s government?
See locustnc.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Locust yet.
How did Locust vote in 2024?
North Carolina counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Locust alone. Stanly County, where 88% of Locust lies, voted Trump 75.0%, Harris 24.2% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Locust?
29 full-time and 10 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $149,166 (about $1.8M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Locust in the state legislature?
Locust is split among 2 State House districts and 2 State Senate districts, so your address decides. The North Carolina Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Locust’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 →