Photo: Harrison Keely · CC BY 4.0Sylva spent more per resident in 2022 than 69% of similar cities
Sylva’s town government spent $4.4 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2023, about $1,696 per resident.
What stands out about how Sylva is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$1,228 per resident in 2022: more than 69% of them
Sylva’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,228 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–$1,448. Sylva spent more than 69% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($134,000), 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 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Sylva itself left out).
About $1,696 per resident a year, or $4.65 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 40%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 32% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Sylva 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: $1,228 · 2023: $1,696. Per resident it went from $1,228 to $1,696 (up 38%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 2,739 to 2,618.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $877 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.44% 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 Sylva’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 Sylva’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Sylva →
Who’s in charge in Sylva
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Sylva’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on townofsylva.org ↗.
One full-time town employee for every 84 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2023 finance file (2,618).
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.
Jackson County Schools
Sylva’s K–12 school district, shared with Dillsboro, Forest Hills, Webster. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $14,411 per pupil, $8,487 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.
Sylva’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 Sylva alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Jackson County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican53.8%11,796 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat44.4%9,746 votesOthers: 1.8% (400 votes).
Most votes in Jackson County: Donald J Trump
North Carolina: Trump 50.9%, Harris 47.6%
100% of Sylva lies in Jackson County. Every 2024 race in Jackson County is on the county’s page.
Jackson 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 Sylva.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: townofsylva.org ↗
- 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 Sylva compares with the towns next door
Sylva spent $1,228 per resident in 2022; the neighbor that reported 2022 spent $843. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Dillsboro | $843 | $1,250 |
| Sylva | $1,228 | $877 |
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 Sylva’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Sylva’s government
How much does Sylva spend per resident?
About $1,696 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2023, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,228 was more than 69% of 119 North Carolina cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Sylva?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $877 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.44% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.66% across North Carolina. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see townofsylva.org.
Who runs Sylva’s government?
See townofsylva.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Sylva yet.
How did Sylva vote in 2024?
North Carolina counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Sylva alone. Jackson County, where 100% of Sylva lies, voted Trump 53.8%, Harris 44.4% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Sylva?
31 full-time and 23 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $135,130 (about $1.6M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Sylva in the state legislature?
State Senate District 50 (Kevin Corbin) and State House District 119 (Anna Ferguson). The House district also covers seven other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Sylva’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 →