And that's a gain of 6,319 residents since the 2020 U.S. Census for what is by far Johnston County's largest and fastest growing town.

Smithfield remains in second place with 13,144 residents, according to the latest U.S. Census estimates from July 2025 released last week. That's a gain of 1,840 for the county seat since the 2020 census. Selma remains in third place with 7,406 residents – a gain of 1,091 since 2020.

Archer Lodge solidified its standing as Johnston's fourth largest incorporated town with a 2025 population estimated at 5,649 followed by Benson with 4,660, Wilson's Mills 2,987, Four Oaks 2,978, Pine Level 2,405, Kenly 1,722, Princeton 1,544, and Micro 537. (Archer Lodge wasn't incorporated as a municipality until 2009.)

Previously reported by the U.S. Census:
Johnston County's 2025 estimated population: 249,794.

A table from the U.S. Census Bureau shows year-by-year populations for all of North Carolina's cities and towns from 2020 through 2025> 

County to spend $2.9 million on Cleveland water mains

In response to the continuing residential "explosion" in rural areas southeast of Clayton, Johnston's County Commissioners last week adopted a $2.9-million plan for additional water mains paralleling Cleveland Road. The expense will be covered by county system-development fees paid by subdivision builders, noted Utilities Director Chandra Farmer.

"Are we running out of water?" asked Commissioner Bill Stovall.

"Our plan is to have adequate capacity as we move forward," Ms. Farmer replied. That plan, she noted, includes more purchases from Raleigh in the short term and in the future a new county-operated water plant on the Neuse River below Princeton.

Meanwhile, the county is expanding its treatment plant at Wilson's Mills and continues to purchase water when necessary from the Town of Smithfield's plant. Both draw water from the Neuse.
 

The annual contributions were almost eliminated from the town's proposed budget for 2026-27 with a suggested scenario to cut the property-tax rate from 45 cents to 40 cents per $100 valuation of real estate. When the council decided against making what Interim Town Manager Kim Pickett called "drastic cuts" to achieve the lower rate, appropriations for local public schools and non-profit agencies will continue unchanged for another year.

That list includes:
• $12,000 for support of Smithfield-based schools – $1,500 each for South Smithfield Elementary, West Smithfield Elementary, Smithfield Middle, Smithfield-Selma High, Innovation Academy, Neuse Charter, and the Early College and Career & Technical Leadership Academy programs hosted by Johnston Community College.
• $2,500 for Harbor Inc. (domestic violence agency).
• $3,500 for Community & Senior Services of Johnston County.
• $1,000 for Triangle East Chamber of Commerce for JoCo Works.
• $3,500 for Smithfield Firefighters Association.
• $2,000 for Johnston County Partnership for Children.

Altogether, Manager Pickett said $1,284,000 had to be cut from her original proposed budget to reduce the tax rate to 40 cents. That included numerous capital projects and contingency funds in several departmental budgets.

The Town Council may adopt the final version of the coming year's budget during its meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday. That would come after the state-required public hearing on the proposed spending plan.

VIEW THE ENTIRE TOWN BUDGET AS IT NOW STANDS>

Town raising fees for some services, but not by much

When the Smithfield Town Council adopts its annual budget, included is the town's Departmental Fee Schedule for the upcoming fiscal year starting July 1. Discussion about proposed changes didn't take up much time during the council's recent budget sessions, perhaps because the increases appear to be modest:

For Cemetery Services, fees are going up $25 – to $800 – for standard grave openings and closings.

For Parks & Recreation, $25 fee increases for adult sports – to $500 for softball and volleyball teams, $550 for basketball teams. Fees per player for most youth team sports are rising from $25 to $30 for Smithfield residents (from $30 to $40 for football) and from $30 to $40 for non-residents (from $60 to $75 for football). Rentals of athletic fields and courts are rising from $40 to $50 for non-residents while remaining at $25 for Smithfield residents.

For the Recreation & Aquatics Center, membership rates and daily admission fees are remaining the same.

Rates for all other town services – including Electric, Water & Sewer, and Solid Waste Collection – are basically unchanged at this point but may be adjusted as wholesale providers adjust rates they are currently charging the town.

One fee being discontinued by the town is a taxicab permit. Manager Pickett said the price of a permit doesn't cover the administrative expense associated with issuing one. Other municipalities have done the same, she noted.
 

Johnston set another employment record in March

The N.C. Department of Commerce reports that 126,517 Johnstonians held jobs in March – a record monthly high – while the number of Johnstonians unemployed declined to 3,940. As a result, the county's jobless rate dropped to 3.0% in March. The previous record for monthly employment in Johnston was recorded last June when the total reached 126,811, according to the N.C. Department of Commerce.
 

WEST SMITHFIELD TEACHER GETS A BOOST

Kendra Matteson holds a ceremonial check for $250 awarded by the Alpha Beta Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta – a national sorority – for her K-5 classroom proposal that "integrates music and literacy by using interactive read-alouds to enhance reading comprehension while teaching key music concepts such as rhythm, timbre and instrument identification." Pictured with her are Alpha Beta Chapter representatives Heather Pennica (left) and Amy Stanley (right) alongside Derrick McNeill, the school's principal. (Alpha Beta Chapter photo)
 

JCC issues Spring semester academic achievement lists
VIEW the complete lists received from Johnston Community College>
 

NEUSE LITTLE THEATRE WRAPPING UP ITS 51st SEASON

This year's finale is "The Odd Couple," opening this Friday and continuing with shows this weekend and next. Here's the cast: (left to right) seated – Matt Gore as Oscar, Jeri Keith Liles as Gwendolyn Pigeon, D.H. Johnson as Felix, Nancy Gibbs as Cecily Pigeon; standing – Rich Nixon as Roy, Darren Nix as Vinnie, Noah Denton as Speed, and Daniel Brown as Murray. NLT shows are often sell-outs. Tickets may be purchased or reserved on the theatre's website> (NLT photo)
 

Library offers Summer Reading Program for all ages

The Public Library of Johnston County & Smithfield will launch its 2026 Summer Reading Program on Monday (June 1). This year's theme, “Unearth a
Story,” celebrates curiosity, discovery, and the thrill of finding something new, all while encouraging the joy of reading.

As in the past, the library will be offering the Collaborative Summer Library Program, a consortium of state libraries and public-library systems working together to provide high-quality summer reading materials for children, teens, adults, and families.

All programs and activities will take place at the library, located at 305 East Market Street in Downtown Smithfield. Library activities are free for all ages. For more details about the summer program, visit the library's website>
 

 WHAT ELSE IS COMING UP 

"Ask A Lawyer Day" for indigents at Courthouse Friday
Indigent residents in need of legal guidance may receive free consultations with local attorneys during Johnston County's annual "Ask A Lawyer Day" event from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. this Friday in the atrium of the Johnston County Courthouse. No appointment is necessary. Participants may meet with an attorney for up to 30 minutes at no charge, and all matters will be held in strict confidence. The event is hosted by the Johnston County Bar Association.

County Commissioners' budget hearing Monday a.m.
The Johnston County Board of Commissioners will hold a public hearing on County Manager Rick Hester's proposed 2026-27 budget when it meets at 10 a.m. Monday at the Courthouse. Also on the agenda for the morning session is presentation of a study on where to build new fire stations as the county's growth continues.
VIEW the complete agenda for the 10 a.m. session>
The board's evening session, which begins at 6 p.m., includes a business zoning request for a small tract at 6232 Raleigh Road in Elevation Township, an update on the county's Capital Improvement Plan, and a contract amendment for additional technical support for the county's proposed Unified Development Ordinance.
VIEW the complete agenda for the 6 p.m. session>

Town Council gets state's Market Street plan Tuesday
First item on the agenda for next Tuesday's meeting of the Smithfield Town Council is presentation of the N.C. Department of Transportation's latest plan for parking in Downtown Smithfield. This comes in response to the Town of Smithfield's request to retain at least some of the parking along Market Street. NCDOT announced several months ago its intent to remove all on-street parking there. Also on Tuesday's agenda is a public hearing on the proposed town budget for 2026-27. The meeting starts at 7 p.m. at Town Hall. VIEW the complete agenda once it's posted>
 

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 DEATHS AND FUNERALS 

Click on the name to read an obituary, usually posted by the funeral home:

The power went out for less than an hour at my place mid-morning Wednesday but as of this morning (Thursday) the town wasn't sure of the source of the problem.

"They couldn't find the cause," reports Interim Town Manager Kim Pickett. And so, she added, the Utilities Department "is assuming it was a limb that fell on a line due to the wind, or it could have been an animal – but it blew a circuit."

Hope that's not a sign of things to come. Years ago we went through a period of frequent outages, usually blamed on squirrels but more likely a result of poor maintenance of the town's system. Things have gotten much better since then.

Still, it's a reminder of how fragile the infrastructure here and just about everywhere else across the land may be as age tends to deteriorate everything around us.

Where would we be without the Triangle Land Conservancy?

Acquiring the Rose Dairy Farm south of Smithfield and then giving it to the County of Johnston is the latest example of what this organization has done for the cause of saving farmlands and woodlands from development.

Let's thank our County Commissioners for stepping up in recent years with substantial appropriations to assist the TLC in its mission.

READ MORE ABOUT THE GIFT OF THE ROSE DAIRY FARM>
 

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