Photo: Rysnap1024 · CC BY-SA 4.0Wake Forest spent less per resident in 2022 than 74% of similar cities
Wake Forest’s town government spent $63.5 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $1,242 per resident. Water and other utilities ($22.5 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Wake Forest is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$1,049 per resident in 2022: less than 74% of them
Wake Forest’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,049 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 $1,283, and the middle half spent $1,014–$1,486. Wake Forest spent less than 74% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($4.6 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; Wake Forest itself left out).
About $1,242 per resident a year, or $3.40 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 25%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 28% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Wake Forest 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: $1,049 · 2023: $1,122 · 2024: $1,242. Per resident it went from $1,049 to $1,242 (up 18%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 47,314 to 51,113.
full-time in March 2025, up from 371 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 $3,853 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.81% 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 Wake Forest’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 Wake Forest’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Wake Forest →
Who’s in charge in Wake Forest
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Wake Forest’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on wakeforestnc.gov ↗.
One full-time town employee for every 120 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 (51,113).
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.
Wake County Schools
Wake Forest’s K–12 school district, shared with Fuquay-Varina, Garner, Holly Springs, Knightdale, Rolesville and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $12,279 per pupil, $8,085 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.
Franklin County Schools · $12,785 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Wake Forest’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 Wake Forest alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Wake County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat61.7%402,984 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican36.2%236,735 votesOthers: 2.1% (13,861 votes).
Most votes in Wake County: Kamala D Harris
North Carolina: Trump 50.9%, Harris 47.6%
95% of Wake Forest lies in Wake County; the rest in Franklin County. Every 2024 race in Wake County is on the county’s page.
Wake 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 Wake Forest.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: wakeforestnc.gov ↗
- 2North Carolina HouseWake Forest is split between 3 districts
- 3North Carolina SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseSplit between districts
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of North Carolina
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Wake Forest compares with the towns next door
Wake Forest spent $1,049 per resident in 2022; the 2 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $959 to $1,102. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Rolesville | $959 | $4,273 |
| Raleigh | $1,102 | $3,048 |
| Wake Forest | $1,049 | $3,853 |
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 Wake Forest’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Wake Forest’s government
How much does Wake Forest spend per resident?
About $1,242 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 $1,049 was less than 74% of 19 North Carolina cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Wake Forest?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,853 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.81% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.66% across North Carolina. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see wakeforestnc.gov.
Who runs Wake Forest’s government?
See wakeforestnc.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Wake Forest yet.
How did Wake Forest vote in 2024?
North Carolina counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Wake Forest alone. Wake County, where 95% of Wake Forest lies, voted Harris 61.7%, Trump 36.2% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Wake Forest?
426 full-time and 78 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $3.0M (about $36.2M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Wake Forest in the state legislature?
Wake Forest is split among 3 State House districts and 4 State Senate districts, so your address decides. The North Carolina Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Wake Forest’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 →