The map below reflects how much it costs taxpayers in various school districts to produce one high school graduate. This map is a visual representation of the figures used in the article How Much Does It Cost to Educate a High School Graduate?
As you can see, most school districts in North Carolina fall within the $135,000-$170,000 range. The statewide average K-12 spending per high school graduate was $142,028. The highest areas of spending are found in eastern North Carolina. These totals also reflect higher levels of state and federal funding that targets low income and at-risk students. They are also a product of the lower graduation rates found in many of the school districts.
The map highlights the reality that school district spending per graduate varies widely among districts and that higher spending does not correlate with higher graduation.
| LEA or Municipal District | Spending / Graduate |
| Hoke County Schools | $152,895 |
| Camden County Schools | $158,327 |
| Harnett County Schools | $119,272 |
| Jackson County Schools | $155,839 |
| Davidson County Schools | $114,605 |
| Lexington City Schools | $154,372 |
| Thomasville City Schools | $164,500 |
| Edgecombe County Schools | $170,371 |
| Nash-Rocky Mount Schools | $140,733 |
| Cleveland County Schools | $134,937 |
| Greene County Schools | $170,829 |
| Stokes County Schools | $112,708 |
| Dare County Schools | $125,464 |
| Polk County Schools | $132,583 |
| Yadkin County Schools | $114,759 |
| Carteret County Schools | $128,534 |
| Duplin County Schools | $126,269 |
| Perquimans County Schools | $178,454 |
| Cherokee County Schools | $134,356 |
| Madison County Schools | $165,207 |
| Chatham County Schools | $130,766 |
| Hyde County Schools | $220,442 |
| McDowell County Schools | $129,276 |
| Halifax County Schools | $197,297 |
| Roanoke Rapids City Schools | $151,025 |
| Weldon City Schools | $170,276 |
| Pasquotank County Schools | $138,352 |
| Onslow County Schools | $109,266 |
| Orange County Schools | $137,631 |
| Pamlico County Schools | $143,453 |
| Montgomery County Schools | $150,357 |
| Martin County Schools | $142,374 |
| Lee County Schools | $131,652 |
| Macon County Schools | $117,829 |
| Tyrrell County Schools | $265,394 |
| Guilford County Schools | $127,853 |
| Mitchell County Schools | $141,693 |
| Chapel Hill-Carborro Schools | $142,469 |
| Vance County Schools | $156,638 |
| LEA or Municipal District | Spending / Graduate |
| Iredell-Statesville Schools | $107,899 |
| Mooresville City Schools | $110,685 |
| Jones County Schools | $192,664 |
| Currituck County Schools | $130,260 |
| Richmond County Schools | $135,577 |
| New Hanover County Schools | $155,444 |
| Clay County Schools | $130,219 |
| Caldwell County Schools | $121,652 |
| Cumberland County Schools | $122,700 |
| Pender County Schools | $131,095 |
| Watauga County Schools | $136,695 |
| Columbus County Schools | $137,824 |
| Whiteville City Schools | $133,455 |
| Davie County Schools | $124,568 |
| Johnston County Schools | $124,670 |
| Craven County Schools | $122,578 |
| Surry County Schools | $118,926 |
| Elkin City Schools | $124,667 |
| Mount Airy City Schools | $129,717 |
| Graham County Schools | $172,805 |
| Granville County Schools | $154,602 |
| Wayne County Public Schools | $125,773 |
| Scotland County Schools | $167,238 |
| Union County Public Schools | $106,091 |
| Burke County Schools | $116,530 |
| Gates County Schools | $154,091 |
| Northampton County Schools | $154,322 |
| Alexander County Schools | $108,661 |
| Beaufort County Schools | $161,831 |
| Asheville City Schools | $185,356 |
| Buncombe County Schools | $127,294 |
| Brunswick County Schools | $137,418 |
| Anson County Schools | $160,597 |
| Bertie County Schools | $177,818 |
| Allegheny County Schools | $156,066 |
| Avery County Schools | $146,116 |
| Kannapolis City Schools | $133,272 |
| Cabarrus County Schools | $114,132 |
| Bladen County Schools | $173,059 |
| LEA or Municipal District | Spending / Graduate |
| Edenton-Chowan Schools | $148,243 |
| Clinton City Schools | $128,112 |
| Sampson County Schools | $136,221 |
| Rowan Salisbury Schools | $135,951 |
| Swain County Schools | $161,732 |
| Robeson County Schools. | $141,704 |
| Yancey County Schools | $173,308 |
| Hertford County Schools | $175,638 |
| Franklin County Schools | $122,986 |
| Forsyth County Schools | $140,867 |
| Ashe County Schools | $135,366 |
| Gaston County Schools | $124,342 |
| Haywood County Schools | $138,218 |
| Person County Schools | $133,933 |
| Moore County Schools | $134,304 |
| Wilkes County Schools | $132,346 |
| Wilson County Schools | $160,245 |
| Washington County Schools | $175,779 |
| Transylvania County Schools | $125,843 |
| Lenoir County Schools | $145,519 |
| Catawba County Schools | $104,343 |
| Hickory City Schools | $127,633 |
| Newton-Conover City Schools | $135,220 |
| Rutherford County Schools | $146,806 |
| Rockingham County Schools | $138,498 |
| Caswell County Schools | $151,449 |
| Alamance-Burlington Schools | $122,949 |
| Warren County Schools | $157,029 |
| Lincoln County Schools | $109,379 |
| Stanly County Schools | $123,196 |
| Pitt County Schools | $160,393 |
| Asheboro City Schools | $126,444 |
| Randolph County Schools | $100,736 |
| Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools | $153,703 |
| Wake County Schools | $123,006 |
| Henderson County Schools | $117,672 |
| Durham Public Schools | $180,637 |
| North Carolina Average | $142,028 |
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