Bethabara Historic District · Photo: Barber Photo Supply Company, Photographer · Public domainWinston-Salem spent less per resident in 2022 than 72% of similar cities
Winston-Salem’s city government spent $285.7 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $1,136 per resident. Water and other utilities ($54.5 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Winston-Salem is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,052 per resident in 2022: less than 72% of them
Winston-Salem’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,052 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 $1,058–$1,276. Winston-Salem spent less than 72% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($53 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; Winston-Salem itself left out).
About $1,136 per resident a year, or $3.11 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 29%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 9% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Winston-Salem 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: $1,052 · 2023: $1,146 · 2024: $1,136.
full-time in March 2025, up from 1,986 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 $2,025 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.87% 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 Winston-Salem’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 Winston-Salem’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Winston-Salem →
Who’s in charge in Winston-Salem
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Winston-Salem’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on cityofws.org ↗.
One full-time city 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 (251,350).
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.
Forsyth County Schools
Winston-Salem’s K–12 school district, shared with Bethania, Clemmons, Lewisville, Rural Hall, Walkertown and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $13,477 per pupil, $8,379 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.
Winston-Salem’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 Winston-Salem alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Forsyth County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat55.7%113,221 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican42.7%86,814 votesOthers: 1.6% (3,256 votes).
Most votes in Forsyth County: Kamala D Harris
North Carolina: Trump 50.9%, Harris 47.6%
100% of Winston-Salem lies in Forsyth County. Every 2024 race in Forsyth County is on the county’s page.
Forsyth 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
Winston-Salem sends 5 representatives to the North Carolina House alone.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: cityofws.org ↗
- 2North Carolina HouseWinston-Salem is split between 5 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 Winston-Salem 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Midway | $191 | $1,364 |
| Clemmons | $210 | $2,304 |
| Tobaccoville | $279 | $1,575 |
| Kernersville | $1,220 | $2,732 |
| Walkertown | estimate | $1,462 |
| Rural Hall | estimate | $1,361 |
| Winston-Salem | $1,052 | $2,025 |
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 Winston-Salem’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Winston-Salem’s government
How much does Winston-Salem spend per resident?
About $1,136 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 $1,052 was less than 72% of 18 North Carolina cities of 100,000–249,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Winston-Salem?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,025 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.87% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.66% across North Carolina. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cityofws.org.
Who runs Winston-Salem’s government?
See cityofws.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Winston-Salem yet.
How did Winston-Salem vote in 2024?
North Carolina counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Winston-Salem alone. Forsyth County, where 100% of Winston-Salem lies, voted Harris 55.7%, Trump 42.7% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Winston-Salem?
2,088 full-time and 211 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $11.5M (about $137.9M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Winston-Salem in the state legislature?
Winston-Salem is split among 5 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 Winston-Salem’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 →