Joseph Bellamy House · Photo: Jerry Dougherty · CC BY 2.5In Bethlehem, 85% of adult citizens voted for president in 2024, more than across Connecticut
Bethlehem’s town government spent $8.7 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $2,556 per resident. These are Census Bureau estimates: Bethlehem didn’t report its figures, so this page shows them without comparisons.
What stands out about how Bethlehem is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
Regional School District 14
Bethlehem’s K–12 school district, shared with Woodbury. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $27,865 per pupil, $15,415 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.
Connecticut districts overall: 58% local, 35% state, 8% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
About $2,556 per resident a year, or $7.00 a day
Day-to-day services only (a Census Bureau estimate). The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 32%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Revenue is well above spending. That usually means Bethlehem collects property taxes for the school district and county and passes them on, so only its own spending is counted.
Bethlehem didn’t report all of its 2022 figures to the Census Bureau, so most of these numbers are the Bureau’s estimates.
No comparison or trend for Bethlehem yet
Every year of Bethlehem’s figures is a Census Bureau estimate: the town reported none of its dollars for 2022. Estimates are shown above, labeled, but never ranked against places that reported or drawn as a trend.
How Town Hall compares budgets →The typical homeowner pays $5,932 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.44% of the home’s value, vs 1.81% across Connecticut.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Bethlehem’s rate.
Can I afford it? →The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate.
Tax bills are one input to Bethlehem’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Bethlehem →
Who’s in charge in Bethlehem
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Bethlehem’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on ci.bethlehem.ct.us ↗.
One full-time town employee for every 677 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (3,385).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
How Bethlehem voted in 2024
Official results for Bethlehem’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Donald J TrumpRepublican60.5%1,436 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat38.3%909 votesOthers: 1.1% (27 votes).
Most votes in Bethlehem: Donald J Trump
Connecticut: Harris 56.4%, Trump 41.9%
of Bethlehem’s 2,792 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Connecticut: 66%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Bethlehem: Matthew M Corey
Connecticut: Murphy 58.6%, Corey 39.7%
President, 2024: Bethlehem, its county and the state
| Trump | Harris | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bethlehem | 60.5% | 38.3% | 1.1% | 2,372 |
| Connecticut | 41.9% | 56.4% | 1.7% | 1,759,010 |
Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.
Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.
How Bethlehem compares with the towns next door
Bethlehem’s own figures are Census estimates, so it isn’t placed among its neighbors. 3 of the 4 towns next door reported 2022 figures, from $3,623 to $4,591 per resident. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Watertown | $3,623 runs schools | $6,014 |
| Morris | $4,058 | $5,273 |
| Washington | $4,591 | $4,709 |
| Woodbury | estimate | $8,042 |
| Bethlehem | estimate | $5,932 |
Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).
Reach Bethlehem’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Bethlehem’s government
How much does Bethlehem spend per resident?
About $2,556 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, a Census Bureau estimate (Bethlehem didn’t report its figures). With building projects and interest, the whole budget was about $8.9 million.
What is the property tax rate in Bethlehem?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $5,932 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.44% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.81% across Connecticut. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see ci.bethlehem.ct.us.
Who runs Bethlehem’s government?
See ci.bethlehem.ct.us for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Bethlehem yet.
How did Bethlehem vote in 2024?
For president, Donald J Trump 60.5%, Kamala D Harris 38.3% (2,372 votes, official results). . Connecticut: Harris 56.4%, Trump 41.9%.
How many people work for Bethlehem?
5 full-time and 29 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $69,187 (about $830,244 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Bethlehem’s government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (for Bethlehem, the Bureau’s estimates); day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →