Highlands, NC town hall & government
Highlands spent $2.5 million in the year to June 30, 2024, about $2,241 per resident.
Where the money goes, where it comes from, property taxes, and how to reach Highlands's government.
Where Highlands's money goes
Where the money comes from
- Utility sales 97%
- Sales taxes 2%
- Interest, fines & other 1%
Who works for Highlands
Staff on the town's payroll in March 2022. Pay is March payroll times twelve, so it's approximate.
Macon County Schools
Highlands's K–12 school district, shared with Franklin. It is its own government, with a budget separate from the town's.
Where the district's money comes from North Carolina districts overall: 26% local, 57% state, 17% federal
- Local 22%
- State 58%
- Federal 21%
Of the $13,324 per pupil, $8,128 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 Highlands: Jackson County Schools ($14,411 per pupil).
Which schools Highlands kids attend, test scores and graduation rate →
What homeowners in Highlands pay
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. In a town this small the survey estimate has a wide margin.
Contact Highlands's government
Who represents Highlands
Highlands is represented in Congress by Senators Thom Tillis and Ted Budd and Representative Chuck Edwards. Josh Stein is governor.
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.