Town Hall · Kinston

Kinston, NC town hall & government

Kinston spent $83.4 million in the year to June 30, 2023, about $4,268 per resident.

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

Town budget

Where Kinston's money goes

Spent
$83.4 million
fiscal year to June 30, 2023
Per resident
$4,268
typical North Carolina cities: $2,755
Long-term debt
$16 million
$819 per resident
Water & other utilities
$46.8 million56%
Sewer & trash
$8.5 million10%
Police
$8.3 million10%
Parks & libraries
$6.6 million8%
Fire
$4.6 million6%
Administration & buildings
$3 million4%
Roads & transportation
$1.8 million2%
Housing & development
$1.2 million1%
Interest on debt
$458,0001%
Courts, inspections & corrections
$444,0001%
Health & welfare
$239,000<1%
Other
$1.5 million2%

Where the money comes from

  • Utility sales 57%
  • Fees & charges 16%
  • Property taxes 12%
  • From the state 8%
  • Sales taxes 6%
  • Interest, fines & other 1%
  • Other taxes & licenses <1%
  • From the federal government <1%
Town workforce

Who works for Kinston

Full-time staff
271
67 part-time too
Average full-time pay
$78,600
a year, before benefits
Sworn police officers
50
and 50 full-time firefighters
Police
55 full-time21 part
Fire
51 full-time
Sewer & trash
41 full-time3 part
Administration & buildings
36 full-time7 part
Parks & libraries
18 full-time32 part
Water & other utilities
33 full-time1 part
Roads & transportation
17 full-time2 part
Health & welfare
2 full-time
Other
18 full-time1 part

Staff on the town's payroll in March 2023. Pay is March payroll times twelve, so it's approximate.

Schools · school year 2023–24

Lenoir County Schools

Kinston's K–12 school district, shared with La Grange and Pink Hill. It is its own government, with a budget separate from the town's.

Spending per pupil
$13,055
North Carolina: $13,045
Students
8,372
in the whole district
Long-term debt
$17.1 million
at year end

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

  • Local 12%
  • State 60%
  • Federal 28%

Of the $13,055 per pupil, $7,935 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 Kinston pay

Typical tax bill
$1,258
a year · North Carolina typical $1,896
Effective rate
1.05%
of home value · North Carolina 0.66%
Typical home value
$119,300
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 Kinston's government

🏛️ Official websiteci.kinston.nc.us ↗

Town hall & decisions in Kinston →

Beyond town hall

Who represents Kinston

Kinston is represented in Congress by Senators Thom Tillis and Ted Budd and Representative Donald G. Davis. Josh Stein is governor.

All of Kinston'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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Kinston

North Carolina · NC
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