North Carolina Towns
North Carolina has hundreds of incorporated towns. Breaking them out from cities is one of the fastest ways to understand the state's local structure.
View TownsNorth Carolina
Financial data for local governments across North Carolina
77
Cities
100
Counties
455
Towns
21
Villages
224
CDPs
16 cities not included in the 2025 rankings below due to late or missing filings. View compliance report
North Carolina has a town-heavy local map and many municipalities run utility systems inside city government. This page helps separate broad statewide comparisons from the quirks that drive local per-capita differences.
Tax Snapshot (Beta)
Beta: source-backed tax context only. This is not a personalized tax-burden estimate.
Current source-backed tax context for North Carolina.
| Component | Summary | Effective | Coverage | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NC state individual income tax | North Carolina uses a flat individual income tax rate of 4.25% for tax year 2025; current law schedules 3.99% for tax years beginning after 2025. | Tax year 2025 (4.25%); scheduled statutory rate after 2025 is 3.99%. | Rate missing | North Carolina tax rate schedules; North Carolina individual income tax |
| NC sales and use tax (state base) | North Carolina general state sales and use tax rate is 4.75%; local and transit rates are additive. | Current rate table effective July 1, 2024 (NCDOR). | Rate missing | North Carolina sales and use tax rates; North Carolina current sales and use tax rates by county |
| NC property tax policy (local administration) | Property taxes are administered and collected locally by counties and municipalities, with state-level support through the Local Government Division. | Current North Carolina Department of Revenue guidance (as accessed April 19, 2026). | Needs review | North Carolina property tax; North Carolina local government division |
Charlotte Profile
Start with Charlotte for a large-city North Carolina example with full trend cards, revenue mix, and spending breakdowns.
View CharlotteDemographics
Census Bureau ACS 5-year estimates (2023)
10,584,340
Population
$69,904
Median Household Income
$259,400
Median Home Value
39.1
Median Age
13.2%
Poverty Rate
4.8%
Unemployment Rate
66.4%
Homeownership Rate
34.7%
Bachelor's+ Rate
10,584,340
(2023)
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2010
2023
$69,904
(2023)
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2010
2023
$39,616
(2023)
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2010
2023
$259,400
(2023)
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2010
2023
$1,162
(2023)
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2010
2023
39.1
(2023)
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2010
2023
0 = perfect equality · 1 = perfect inequality
0.5
(2023)
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2010
2023
Local Governments
Largest by Population
City Rankings
Based on FY 2025 financial data
Total expenditures divided by population.
| # | City | Value |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Charlotte | $4,447 |
| 2 | Hendersonville | $4,156 |
| 3 | Hickory | $3,567 |
| 4 | Asheville | $3,407 |
| 5 | Sanford | $3,160 |
| 6 | Raleigh | $3,115 |
| 7 | Brevard | $3,046 |
| 8 | Whiteville | $3,040 |
| 9 | Greensboro | $2,843 |
| 10 | Dunn | $2,724 |
| 1 | Polkville | $189 |
| 2 | Locust | $1,054 |
| 3 | Northwest | $1,348 |
| 4 | Jacksonville | $1,376 |
| 5 | Archdale | $1,444 |
| 6 | Roanoke Rapids | $1,447 |
| 7 | Fayetteville | $1,487 |
| 8 | Havelock | $1,589 |
| 9 | Greenville | $1,821 |
| 10 | Thomasville | $1,836 |