Photo: Tradewinds · CC BY-SA 3.0New Bern spent more per resident in 2022 than 90% of similar cities
New Bern’s city government spent $60.3 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $1,913 per resident. Water and other utilities ($67.7 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how New Bern is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
Who’s in charge in New Bern
From public records with a current term; a name is hidden the day its term ends.
Council members and agencies: newbernnc.gov ↗
New Bern’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on newbernnc.gov ↗.
About $1,913 per resident a year, or $5.24 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 29%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,598 per resident in 2022: more than 90% of them
New Bern’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,598 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 19 North Carolina cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,204, and the middle half spent $966–$1,452. New Bern spent more than 90% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($14.1 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 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; New Bern itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is up 26% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years New Bern reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.
Day-to-day spending by fiscal year
Per resident: 2022: $1,598 · 2024: $1,913. Per resident it went from $1,598 to $1,913 (up 20%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 29,940 to 31,539.
full-time in March 2025, up from 452 in 2022.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $1,734 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.72% 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 New Bern’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 New Bern’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in New Bern →
One full-time city employee for every 67 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 (31,539).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Craven County Schools
New Bern’s K–12 school district, shared with Bridgeton, Cove City, Dover, Havelock, River Bend and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $12,672 per pupil, $7,291 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.
New Bern’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 New Bern alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Craven County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican59.7%33,220 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat39.1%21,747 votesOthers: 1.2% (678 votes).
Most votes in Craven County: Donald J Trump
North Carolina: Trump 50.9%, Harris 47.6%
100% of New Bern lies in Craven County. Every 2024 race in Craven County is on the county’s page.
Craven 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 New Bern.
- 1Your cityMayorJeffrey T. Odhamas listed by Open States, October 9, 2026
- 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 New Bern compares with the towns next door
New Bern spent $1,598 per resident in 2022; the neighbor that reported 2022 spent $233. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Trent Woods | $233 | $1,804 |
| New Bern | $1,598 | $1,734 |
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 New Bern’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about New Bern’s government
How much does New Bern spend per resident?
About $1,913 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 $1,598 was more than 90% of 19 North Carolina cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in New Bern?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,734 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.72% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.66% across North Carolina. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see newbernnc.gov.
Who is the mayor of New Bern?
Jeffrey T. Odham, as listed by Open States (checked October 9, 2026). The council and agencies are listed on newbernnc.gov.
How did New Bern vote in 2024?
North Carolina counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for New Bern alone. Craven County, where 100% of New Bern lies, voted Trump 59.7%, Harris 39.1% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for New Bern?
472 full-time and 21 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $2.8M (about $33.2M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents New Bern in the state legislature?
State Senate District 3 (Bob Brinson) and State House District 3 (Steve Tyson). The House district also covers seven other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about New Bern’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 →