Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to Mars Hill

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
Mars Hill High SchoolMars Hill High School · Photo: Warren LeMay from Cincinnati, OH, United States · CC0
Town Hall · Mars Hill

How is Mars Hill run?

Mars Hill’s town government spent $0 on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $0 per resident. These are Census Bureau estimates: Mars Hill didn’t report its figures, so this page shows them without comparisons.

Town website
Election Day

Today

General election in North Carolina.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$0
year to June 30, 2022 · Census estimate
Per resident, 2022
$0
Census estimate · not compared
Long-term debt
Not reported
end of FY2022 · Census estimate
Town staff, 2022
21
full-time · 14 part-time · March payroll $89,406
Typical tax bill
$1,649
0.56% of home value · NC 0.66%

What stands out about how Mars Hill is run

Read from the town’s budget and official records.

The school district

Madison County Schools

Mars Hill’s K–12 school district, shared with Hot Springs, Marshall. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Mars Hill →
$14,815
per pupil · NC $13,045
2,130
students
$3 million
long-term debt

Of the $14,815 per pupil, $9,128 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 20%State 69%Federal 11%

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

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

Compared with similar places · Over the years

No comparison or trend for Mars Hill yet

Every year of Mars Hill’s figures is a Census Bureau estimate: the town reported none of its dollars for 2022. Estimates are shown above, labeled, but never ranked against places that reported or drawn as a trend.

How Town Hall compares budgets →
Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $1,649 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.56% 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
Mars Hill$1,649
$1,649
typical bill a year
0.56%
effective rate
$294,700
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Mars Hill

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

See townofmarshill.org for Mars Hill’s current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Mars Hill yet.townofmarshill.org ↗
Agendas

Mars Hill’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on townofmarshill.org ↗.

Who works for Mars Hill

One full-time town employee for every 90 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 (1,881).

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

Administration & buildings3 + 7 pt
Police5 + 3 pt
Fire5 + 2 pt
Sewer & trash4 + 1 pt
Roads & transportation3
Water & other utilities1 + 1 pt
21
full-time
14
part-time
$89,406
payroll for March 2022
$1.1M
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$43,900
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
5
sworn police officers
5
full-time firefighters
Not compared.Staff are compared with the same group as the budget, and Mars Hill’s 2022 budget was a Census estimate, so there is no group to compare with.

The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.

Elections · 2024 general election

Mars Hill’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 Mars Hill alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Madison County’s results.

President · Madison County’s results13,621 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican60.8%8,275 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat37.4%5,090 votes

Others: 1.9% (256 votes).

Most votes in Madison County: Donald J Trump

North Carolina: Trump 50.9%, Harris 47.6%

The county’s page

100% of Mars Hill lies in Madison County. Every 2024 race in Madison County is on the county’s page.

Madison 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 Mars Hill

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Mars Hill.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your townTown government
  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 Mars Hill’s government

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

The Handbook →

Questions about Mars Hill’s government

How much does Mars Hill spend per resident?

About $0 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, a Census Bureau estimate (Mars Hill didn’t report its figures). With building projects and interest, the whole budget was about $3,000.

What is the property tax rate in Mars Hill?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,649 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.56% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.66% across North Carolina. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see townofmarshill.org.

Who runs Mars Hill’s government?

See townofmarshill.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Mars Hill yet.

How did Mars Hill vote in 2024?

North Carolina counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Mars Hill alone. Madison County, where 100% of Mars Hill lies, voted Trump 60.8%, Harris 37.4% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Mars Hill?

21 full-time and 14 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $89,406 (about $1.1M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Mars Hill in the state legislature?

State Senate District 47 (Ralph Hise) and State House District 118 (Mark Pless). The House district also covers six other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Mars Hill’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 (for Mars Hill, the Bureau’s estimates); 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 →