Town Hall · Durham

Durham, NC town hall & government

Durham spent $636 million in the year to June 30, 2023, about $2,227 per resident.

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

Local leadership

Who runs Durham

Leonardo WilliamsMayorTerm ends 2027 919-560-4333Email Source ↗ Out of date? Sign in to tell us

From public records (Open States and Wikidata), which can lag behind an election. If a name is out of date, tell us: when two neighbors agree, it's hidden until the records catch up.

Town budget

Where Durham's money goes

Spent
$636 million
fiscal year to June 30, 2023
Per resident
$2,227
typical North Carolina cities: $2,755
Long-term debt
$236.9 million
$830 per resident
Sewer & trash
$133.7 million21%
Roads & transportation
$91.1 million14%
Police
$85.3 million13%
Water & other utilities
$84.8 million13%
Administration & buildings
$63 million10%
Fire
$51.4 million8%
Housing & development
$47.3 million7%
Parks & libraries
$37.6 million6%
Interest on debt
$13.9 million2%
Courts, inspections & corrections
$10.2 million2%
Other
$17.7 million3%

Where the money comes from

  • Property taxes 36%
  • Fees & charges 20%
  • Sales taxes 13%
  • Utility sales 10%
  • From the state 7%
  • Interest, fines & other 6%
  • From other local governments 4%
  • From the federal government 3%
  • Other taxes & licenses 1%
Town workforce

Who works for Durham

Full-time staff
2,383
289 part-time too
Average full-time pay
$83,200
a year, before benefits
Sworn police officers
396
and 393 full-time firefighters
Police
524 full-time41 part
Fire
406 full-time
Sewer & trash
312 full-time7 part
Administration & buildings
228 full-time26 part
Parks & libraries
130 full-time196 part
Roads & transportation
192 full-time3 part
Water & other utilities
150 full-time2 part
Housing & development
77 full-time1 part
Courts, inspections & corrections
13 full-time
Other
351 full-time13 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

Durham Public Schools

Durham's K–12 school district. It is its own government, with a budget separate from the town's.

Spending per pupil
$15,851
North Carolina: $13,045
Students
31,339
in the whole district
Long-term debt
$330.5 million
at year end

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

  • Local 7%
  • State 88%
  • Federal 5%

Of the $15,851 per pupil, $9,563 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.

Property tax

What homeowners in Durham pay

Typical tax bill
$3,263
a year · North Carolina typical $1,896
Effective rate
0.83%
of home value · North Carolina 0.66%
Typical home value
$392,800
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 Durham's government

🏛️ Official websitedurhamnc.gov ↗

Town hall & decisions in Durham →

Beyond town hall

Who represents Durham

Durham is represented in Congress by Senators Thom Tillis and Ted Budd and Representative Valerie P. Foushee. Josh Stein is governor.

All of Durham'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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Durham

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