Photo: Kubigula · Public domainSpruce Pine spent more per resident in 2022 than 84% of similar cities
Spruce Pine’s town government spent $3.8 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $1,777 per resident. Water and other utilities ($1.9 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Spruce Pine is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$1,777 per resident in 2022: more than 84% of them
Spruce Pine’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,777 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 221 North Carolina cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $800, and the middle half spent $425–$1,295. Spruce Pine spent more than 84% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($506,000), 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 under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Spruce Pine itself left out).
About $1,777 per resident a year, or $4.87 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 26%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Spruce Pine reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $1,324 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.64% 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 Spruce Pine’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 Spruce Pine’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Spruce Pine →
Who’s in charge in Spruce Pine
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Spruce Pine’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on sprucepine-nc.gov ↗.
One full-time town employee for every 79 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 (2,126).
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.
Mitchell County Schools
Spruce Pine’s K–12 school district, shared with Bakersville. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $15,355 per pupil, $8,525 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.
Spruce Pine’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 Spruce Pine alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Mitchell County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican77.4%6,844 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat21.7%1,918 votesOthers: 0.9% (84 votes).
Most votes in Mitchell County: Donald J Trump
North Carolina: Trump 50.9%, Harris 47.6%
100% of Spruce Pine lies in Mitchell County. Every 2024 race in Mitchell County is on the county’s page.
Mitchell 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 Spruce Pine.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: sprucepine-nc.gov ↗
- 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.
Reach Spruce Pine’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Spruce Pine’s government
How much does Spruce Pine spend per resident?
About $1,777 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 $1,777 was more than 84% of 221 North Carolina cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Spruce Pine?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,324 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.64% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.66% across North Carolina. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see sprucepine-nc.gov.
Who runs Spruce Pine’s government?
See sprucepine-nc.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Spruce Pine yet.
How did Spruce Pine vote in 2024?
North Carolina counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Spruce Pine alone. Mitchell County, where 100% of Spruce Pine lies, voted Trump 77.4%, Harris 21.7% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Spruce Pine?
27 full-time and 21 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $132,587 (about $1.6M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Spruce Pine in the state legislature?
State Senate District 47 (Ralph Hise) and State House District 85 (Dudley Greene). The House district also covers 12 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Spruce Pine’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 →