Town Hall · Raleigh

Raleigh, NC town hall & government

Raleigh spent $1.3 billion in the year to June 30, 2024, about $2,704 per resident.

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

Local leadership

Who runs Raleigh

Janet CowellMayorSince 2024 Wikidata ↗ Out of date?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 If a name is out of date, tell us: when two neighbors agree, it's hidden until the records catch up.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 Raleigh's money goes

Spent
$1.3 billion
fiscal year to June 30, 2024
Per resident
$2,704
typical North Carolina cities: $2,639
Long-term debt
$1.6 billion
$3,303 per resident
Sewer & trash
$305.2 million24%
Water & other utilities
$191.4 million15%
Roads & transportation
$160.2 million12%
Police
$142.9 million11%
Parks & libraries
$135.6 million11%
Fire
$80.2 million6%
Administration & buildings
$62.2 million5%
Housing & development
$60.8 million5%
Interest on debt
$45.6 million4%
Courts, inspections & corrections
$19.7 million2%
Paid to other governments
$135,000<1%
Other
$84.8 million7%

Where the money comes from

  • Property taxes 27%
  • Fees & charges 25%
  • Sales taxes 12%
  • Utility sales 10%
  • From the federal government 7%
  • Interest, fines & other 6%
  • From other local governments 6%
  • From the state 5%
  • Other taxes & licenses 2%
Town workforce

Who works for Raleigh

Full-time staff
4,211
1,218 part-time too
Average full-time pay
$76,800
a year, before benefits
Sworn police officers
702
and 596 full-time firefighters
Police
884 full-time54 part
Parks & libraries
410 full-time918 part
Fire
623 full-time5 part
Sewer & trash
552 full-time12 part
Administration & buildings
378 full-time3 part
Water & other utilities
343 full-time8 part
Roads & transportation
313 full-time14 part
Housing & development
57 full-time2 part
Health & welfare
19 full-time34 part
Courts, inspections & corrections
27 full-time
Other
605 full-time168 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

Wake County Schools

Raleigh's K–12 school district, shared with Fuquay-Varina, Garner, Holly Springs, Knightdale, Rolesville and Wendell. It is its own government, with a budget separate from the town's.

Spending per pupil
$12,279
North Carolina: $13,045
Students
161,481
in the whole district
Long-term debt
$2.3 billion
at year end

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

  • Local 34%
  • State 56%
  • Federal 10%

Of the $12,279 per pupil, $8,085 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 Raleigh pay

Typical tax bill
$3,048
a year · North Carolina typical $1,896
Effective rate
0.73%
of home value · North Carolina 0.66%
Typical home value
$415,800
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 Raleigh's government

🏛️ Official websiteraleighnc.gov ↗

Town hall & decisions in Raleigh →

Beyond town hall

Who represents Raleigh

Raleigh is represented in Congress by Senators Thom Tillis and Ted Budd and Representative Deborah K. Ross. Josh Stein is governor.

All of Raleigh'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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Raleigh

North Carolina · NC
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