Town Hall · Winston-Salem

Winston-Salem, NC town hall & government

Winston-Salem spent $376.3 million in the year to June 30, 2024, about $1,497 per resident.

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

Town budget

Where Winston-Salem's money goes

Spent
$376.3 million
fiscal year to June 30, 2024
Per resident
$1,497
typical North Carolina cities: $2,639
Long-term debt
$778.9 million
$3,099 per resident
Police
$83.8 million22%
Sewer & trash
$67.8 million18%
Fire
$43.8 million12%
Administration & buildings
$43 million11%
Roads & transportation
$38.5 million10%
Water & other utilities
$32.3 million9%
Housing & development
$22.5 million6%
Interest on debt
$21.8 million6%
Parks & libraries
$20.6 million5%
Courts, inspections & corrections
$2.2 million1%

Where the money comes from

  • Property taxes 34%
  • Fees & charges 20%
  • Sales taxes 14%
  • Utility sales 13%
  • From the federal government 7%
  • From the state 7%
  • Interest, fines & other 5%
  • From other local governments <1%
Town workforce

Who works for Winston-Salem

Full-time staff
2,088
211 part-time too
Average full-time pay
$63,700
a year, before benefits
Sworn police officers
364
and 344 full-time firefighters
Police
566 full-time27 part
Fire
368 full-time
Sewer & trash
254 full-time
Water & other utilities
246 full-time
Administration & buildings
221 full-time3 part
Roads & transportation
110 full-time3 part
Parks & libraries
47 full-time105 part
Courts, inspections & corrections
11 full-time
Other
265 full-time73 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

Forsyth County Schools

Winston-Salem's K–12 school district, shared with Bethania, Clemmons, Lewisville, Rural Hall, Walkertown and Tobaccoville. It is its own government, with a budget separate from the town's.

Spending per pupil
$13,477
North Carolina: $13,045
Students
52,157
in the whole district
Long-term debt
$458.3 million
at year end

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

  • Local 26%
  • State 55%
  • Federal 19%

Of the $13,477 per pupil, $8,379 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 Winston-Salem pay

Typical tax bill
$2,025
a year · North Carolina typical $1,896
Effective rate
0.87%
of home value · North Carolina 0.66%
Typical home value
$233,800
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 Winston-Salem's government

🏛️ Official websitecityofws.org ↗

Town hall & decisions in Winston-Salem →

Beyond town hall

Who represents Winston-Salem

Winston-Salem is represented in Congress by Senators Thom Tillis and Ted Budd and Representatives Pat Harrigan and Addison P. McDowell. Josh Stein is governor.

All of Winston-Salem'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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Winston-Salem

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