Photo: NCDOTcommunications · CC BY 2.0How is Wilmington run?
Wilmington’s city government spent $163.6 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $1,360 per resident. Water and other utilities ($6.4 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Wilmington is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
New Hanover County Schools
Wilmington’s K–12 school district, shared with Carolina Beach, Kure Beach, Wrightsville Beach. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $14,042 per pupil, $8,492 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.
About $1,360 per resident a year, or $3.73 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 27%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,159 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
Wilmington’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,159 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 18 North Carolina cities of 100,000–249,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,198, and the middle half spent $1,046–$1,276. Wilmington spent less than 61% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($19.2 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 100,000–249,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Wilmington itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is up 13% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Wilmington 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: $1,159 · 2023: $1,336 · 2024: $1,360.
full-time in March 2025, up from 958 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 $2,558 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.67% 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 Wilmington’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 Wilmington’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Wilmington →
Who’s in charge in Wilmington
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Wilmington’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on wilmingtonnc.gov ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 115 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 (120,324).
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.
Wilmington’s votes are counted by county
North Carolina reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Wilmington alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are New Hanover County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat49.6%68,814 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican49.0%67,949 votesOthers: 1.4% (1,971 votes).
Most votes in New Hanover County: Kamala D Harris
North Carolina: Trump 50.9%, Harris 47.6%
100% of Wilmington lies in New Hanover County. Every 2024 race in New Hanover County is on the county’s page.
New Hanover 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 Wilmington.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: wilmingtonnc.gov ↗
- 2North Carolina HouseWilmington is split between 3 districts
- 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 Wilmington compares with the towns next door
No neighbor is close in size, so the comparison above uses North Carolina cities of 100,000–249,999 that don’t run their own schools. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Wilmington | $1,159 | $2,558 |
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 Wilmington’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Wilmington’s government
How much does Wilmington spend per resident?
About $1,360 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 $1,159 was less than 61% of 18 North Carolina cities of 100,000–249,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Wilmington?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,558 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.67% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.66% across North Carolina. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see wilmingtonnc.gov.
Who runs Wilmington’s government?
See wilmingtonnc.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Wilmington yet.
How did Wilmington vote in 2024?
North Carolina counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Wilmington alone. New Hanover County, where 100% of Wilmington lies, voted Harris 49.6%, Trump 49.0% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Wilmington?
1,043 full-time and 56 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $6.2M (about $74.0M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Wilmington in the state legislature?
Wilmington is split among 3 State House districts and 2 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 Wilmington’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 →