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Mill Farm InnMill Farm Inn · Photo: Bigskybill · CC BY-SA 3.0
Town Hall · Tryon

Tryon spent more per resident in 2022 than 81% of similar cities

Tryon’s town government spent $2.7 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $1,631 per resident. Water and other utilities ($535,000) are counted separately.

Town website
Election Day

Tomorrow

General election in North Carolina.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$2.7M
year to June 30, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$1,631
In 2022: $1,631, more than 81% of 221 similar cities
Long-term debt
$2.5M
end of FY2022, reported
Town staff, 2022
42
full-time · 4 part-time · March payroll $147,640
Typical tax bill
$2,142
0.70% of home value · NC 0.66%

What stands out about how Tryon is run

Read from the town’s budget and official records.

Compared with similar places

$1,631 per resident in 2022: more than 81% of them

Tryon’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,631 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. Tryon spent more than 81% of them.

Middle half of the group, $425–$1,295Median $800Tryon

Includes sewer and trash ($20,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →

The group
221

North Carolina cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Tryon itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $1,631 per resident a year, or $4.47 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 52%.

Where the money comes from
Property taxes 32%From other local governments 31%Utility sales 9%Sales taxes 9%From the state 6%Fees & charges 5%From the federal government 5%Interest, fines & other 3%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $149,000; interest on debt $110,000; payments to other governments $1.5 million. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $5 million.
Over the years

No trend yet

Tryon reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $2,142 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.70% of the home’s value, vs 0.66% across North Carolina.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Tryon$2,142
North Carolina$1,896
$2,142
typical bill a year
0.70%
effective rate
$306,900
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Tryon’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 Tryon’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Tryon →

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Tryon

Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.

See tryon-nc.com for Tryon’s current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Tryon yet.tryon-nc.com ↗
Agendas

Tryon’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on tryon-nc.com ↗.

Who works for Tryon

One full-time town employee for every 39 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 (1,635).

By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022

Administration & buildings12
Police8 + 2 pt
Sewer & trash6 + 1 pt
Fire5
Water & other utilities5
Roads & transportation4
Parks & libraries2 + 1 pt
42
full-time
4
part-time
$147,640
payroll for March 2022
$1.8M
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$41,000
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
6
sworn police officers
5
full-time firefighters
Compared, 2022.Tryon had 25.7 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 196 of the 221 North Carolina cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 6.0: Tryon had more than 91% of them. Same group and year as the budget comparison.

The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.

The school district

Polk County Schools

Tryon’s K–12 school district, shared with Columbus, Saluda. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Tryon →
$16,033
per pupil · NC $13,045
2,156
students
$5.3 million
long-term debt

Of the $16,033 per pupil, $9,708 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.

The district: schools, scores and graduation →

Where the district’s money comes from
Local 25%State 57%Federal 18%

North Carolina districts overall: 26% local, 57% state, 17% federal.

School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.

Elections · 2024 general election

Tryon’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 Tryon alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Polk County’s results.

President · Polk County’s results13,068 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican62.0%8,107 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat36.9%4,827 votes

Others: 1.0% (134 votes).

Most votes in Polk County: Donald J Trump

North Carolina: Trump 50.9%, Harris 47.6%

The county’s page

100% of Tryon lies in Polk County. Every 2024 race in Polk County is on the county’s page.

Polk County’s 2024 results →
DemocratRepublicanLibertarianIndependent / other

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.

Who represents Tryon

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Tryon.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your townTown government
    Officials: tryon-nc.com ↗
  2. 2
    North Carolina HouseState representatives
  3. 3
    North Carolina SenateState senator
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of North Carolina

Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.

Reach Tryon’s government

The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Tryon’s government

How much does Tryon spend per resident?

About $1,631 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 $1,631 was more than 81% of 221 North Carolina cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Tryon?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,142 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.70% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.66% across North Carolina. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see tryon-nc.com.

Who runs Tryon’s government?

See tryon-nc.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Tryon yet.

How did Tryon vote in 2024?

North Carolina counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Tryon alone. Polk County, where 100% of Tryon lies, voted Trump 62.0%, Harris 36.9% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Tryon?

42 full-time and 4 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $147,640 (about $1.8M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Tryon in the state legislature?

State Senate District 48 (Tim Moffitt) and State House District 113 (Jake Johnson). The House district also covers 11 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Tryon’s government

Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.

Town Square →
Ask neighbors

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 →