Photo: James Willamor · CC BY-SA 3.0Nags Head spent more per resident in 2022 than 98% of similar cities
Nags Head’s town government spent $14.1 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $4,698 per resident. Water and other utilities ($2.2 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Nags Head is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$4,698 per resident in 2022: more than 98% of them
Nags Head’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($4,698 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–$1,402. Nags Head spent more than 98% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($1.9 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; Nags Head itself left out).
About $4,698 per resident a year, or $12.87 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 21%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Nags Head reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $2,632 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.54% 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 Nags Head’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 Nags Head’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Nags Head →
Who’s in charge in Nags Head
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Nags Head’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on townofnagshead.net ↗.
One full-time town employee for every 27 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 (2,997).
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.
Dare County Schools
Nags Head’s K–12 school district, shared with Duck, Kill Devil Hills, Kitty Hawk, Manteo, Southern Shores. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $15,072 per pupil, $9,704 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.
Nags Head’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 Nags Head alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Dare County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican58.7%14,792 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat40.0%10,074 votesOthers: 1.3% (330 votes).
Most votes in Dare County: Donald J Trump
North Carolina: Trump 50.9%, Harris 47.6%
100% of Nags Head lies in Dare County. Every 2024 race in Dare County is on the county’s page.
Dare 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 Nags Head.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: townofnagshead.net ↗
- 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 Nags Head compares with the towns next door
Nags Head spent $4,698 per resident in 2022; the neighbor that reported 2022 spent $2,018. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Kill Devil Hills | $2,018 | $2,442 |
| Nags Head | $4,698 | $2,632 |
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 Nags Head’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Nags Head’s government
How much does Nags Head spend per resident?
About $4,698 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 $4,698 was more than 98% of 119 North Carolina cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Nags Head?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,632 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.54% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.66% across North Carolina. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see townofnagshead.net.
Who runs Nags Head’s government?
See townofnagshead.net for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Nags Head yet.
How did Nags Head vote in 2024?
North Carolina counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Nags Head alone. Dare County, where 100% of Nags Head lies, voted Trump 58.7%, Harris 40.0% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Nags Head?
113 full-time and 3 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $771,798 (about $9.3M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Nags Head in the state legislature?
State Senate District 1 (Jerry Tillett) and State House District 79 (Keith Kidwell). The House district also covers 18 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Nags Head’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 →