Town Hall · Asheville

Asheville, NC town hall & government

Asheville spent $305.6 million in the year to June 30, 2024, about $3,258 per resident.

Where the money goes, where it comes from, property taxes, and how to reach Asheville's government.

Town budget

Where Asheville's money goes

Spent
$305.6 million
fiscal year to June 30, 2024
Per resident
$3,258
typical North Carolina cities: $2,639
Long-term debt
$182.6 million
$1,947 per resident
Water & other utilities
$79.6 million26%
Fire
$42.4 million14%
Roads & transportation
$40.2 million13%
Police
$37.2 million12%
Parks & libraries
$32.7 million11%
Administration & buildings
$21.3 million7%
Housing & development
$13.4 million4%
Sewer & trash
$13.4 million4%
Interest on debt
$6.1 million2%
Courts, inspections & corrections
$1.6 million1%
Health & welfare
$343,000<1%
Paid to other governments
$111,000<1%
Other
$17.2 million6%

Where the money comes from

  • Utility sales 29%
  • Property taxes 26%
  • Sales taxes 14%
  • Fees & charges 13%
  • From the federal government 5%
  • From the state 5%
  • Interest, fines & other 5%
  • Other taxes & licenses 3%
  • From other local governments 1%
Town workforce

Who works for Asheville

Full-time staff
1,402
144 part-time too
Average full-time pay
$70,300
a year, before benefits
Sworn police officers
235
and 335 full-time firefighters
Fire
339 full-time2 part
Police
297 full-time20 part
Sewer & trash
123 full-time1 part
Administration & buildings
118 full-time2 part
Water & other utilities
107 full-time4 part
Roads & transportation
104 full-time
Parks & libraries
94 full-time19 part
Health & welfare
52 full-time
Courts, inspections & corrections
8 full-time
Other
160 full-time96 part

Staff on the town's payroll in March 2025. Pay is March payroll times twelve, so it's approximate.

Schools · school year 2023–24

Buncombe County Schools

Asheville's K–12 school district, shared with Biltmore Forest, Black Mountain, Montreat, Weaverville and Woodfin. It is its own government, with a budget separate from the town's.

Spending per pupil
$13,828
North Carolina: $13,045
Students
22,172
in the whole district
Long-term debt
$200.6 million
at year end

Where the district's money comes from North Carolina districts overall: 26% local, 57% state, 17% federal

  • Local 35%
  • State 48%
  • Federal 16%

Of the $13,828 per pupil, $8,392 goes to classroom instruction (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to support services such as buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren't in the per-pupil figure.

Also serving Asheville: Asheville City Schools ($17,958 per pupil).

Property tax

What homeowners in Asheville pay

Typical tax bill
$2,960
a year · North Carolina typical $1,896
Effective rate
0.67%
of home value · North Carolina 0.66%
Typical home value
$440,000
owner-occupied

The median yearly bill homeowners report, covering every local property tax on the home (town, schools, county). The effective rate is that bill divided by the median home value, so it's a rough guide, not the official tax rate.

Local

Contact Asheville's government

🏛️ Official websiteashevillenc.gov ↗

Town hall & decisions in Asheville →

Beyond town hall

Who represents Asheville

Asheville is represented in Congress by Senators Thom Tillis and Ted Budd and Representative Chuck Edwards. Josh Stein is governor.

All of Asheville's representatives, with contacts →

Budget: U.S. Census Bureau, 2022 Census of Governments: Finance (every city and town government's revenue, spending and debt, grouped into plain categories). Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 5-year estimates.

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/18 · 2025-01-01