Roanoke Canal · Photo: JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ, M.D. · CC BY-SA 4.0How is Roanoke Rapids run?
Roanoke Rapids’ city government spent $15.3 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $1,080 per resident.
What stands out about how Roanoke Rapids is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
One full-time city employee for every 96 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 (14,186).
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.
About $1,080 per resident a year, or $2.96 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 22%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,080 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
Roanoke Rapids’ day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,080 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 $1,126, and the middle half spent $810–$1,468. Roanoke Rapids spent more than 50% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($1.4 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 →
North Carolina cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Roanoke Rapids itself left out).
No trend yet
Roanoke Rapids reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $1,960 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.37% 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 Roanoke Rapids’ 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 Roanoke Rapids’ Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Roanoke Rapids →
Who’s in charge in Roanoke Rapids
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Roanoke Rapids’ meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on roanokerapidsnc.com ↗.
Roanoke Rapids City Schools
Roanoke Rapids’ K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $12,967 per pupil, $8,276 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.
Weldon City Schools · $21,407 per pupil
Halifax County Schools · $18,303 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Roanoke Rapids’ votes are counted by county
North Carolina reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Roanoke Rapids alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Halifax County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat58.5%14,014 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican40.8%9,778 votesOthers: 0.7% (173 votes).
Most votes in Halifax County: Kamala D Harris
North Carolina: Trump 50.9%, Harris 47.6%
100% of Roanoke Rapids lies in Halifax County. Every 2024 race in Halifax County is on the county’s page.
Halifax 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 Roanoke Rapids.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: roanokerapidsnc.com ↗
- 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 Roanoke Rapids compares with the towns next door
Roanoke Rapids spent $1,080 per resident in 2022. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Weldon | estimate | $1,451 |
| Roanoke Rapids | $1,080 | $1,960 |
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 Roanoke Rapids’ government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Roanoke Rapids’ government
How much does Roanoke Rapids spend per resident?
About $1,080 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 $1,080 was more than 50% of 36 North Carolina cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Roanoke Rapids?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,960 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.37% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.66% across North Carolina. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see roanokerapidsnc.com.
Who runs Roanoke Rapids’ government?
See roanokerapidsnc.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Roanoke Rapids yet.
How did Roanoke Rapids vote in 2024?
North Carolina counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Roanoke Rapids alone. Halifax County, where 100% of Roanoke Rapids lies, voted Harris 58.5%, Trump 40.8% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Roanoke Rapids?
148 full-time and 31 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $549,603 (about $6.6M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Roanoke Rapids in the state legislature?
State Senate District 2 (Norman Sanderson) and State House District 27 (Rodney Pierce). The House district also covers 18 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Roanoke Rapids’ 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 →