Photo: AirportExpert · CC BY-SA 4.0In Bridgewater, 84% of adult citizens voted for president in 2024, more than across Connecticut
Bridgewater’s town government spent $840,000 on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $515 per resident.
What stands out about how Bridgewater is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$515 per resident in 2022: more than 67% of them
Bridgewater’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($515 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 8637 U.S. towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $362, and the middle half spent $206–$612. Bridgewater spent more than 67% of them.
Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
U.S. towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Bridgewater itself left out).
About $515 per resident a year, or $1.41 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 31%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Revenue is well above spending. That usually means Bridgewater collects property taxes for the school district and county and passes them on, so only its own spending is counted.
No trend yet
Bridgewater reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $6,869 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.99% 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 Bridgewater’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. In a town this small the estimate has a wide margin.
Tax bills are one input to Bridgewater’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Bridgewater →
Who’s in charge in Bridgewater
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Bridgewater’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on bridgewater-ct.gov ↗.
One full-time town employee for every 136 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 (1,632).
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.
Regional School District 12
Bridgewater’s K–12 school district, shared with Roxbury, Washington. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $35,394 per pupil, $19,543 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.
How Bridgewater voted in 2024
Official results for Bridgewater’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat51.7%607 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican46.6%548 votesOthers: 1.7% (20 votes).
Most votes in Bridgewater: Kamala D Harris
Connecticut: Harris 56.4%, Trump 41.9%
of Bridgewater’s 1,401 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Connecticut: 66%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Bridgewater: Christopher S Murphy
Connecticut: Murphy 58.6%, Corey 39.7%
President, 2024: Bridgewater, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bridgewater | 51.7% | 46.6% | 1.7% | 1,175 |
| Connecticut | 56.4% | 41.9% | 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 Bridgewater compares with the towns next door
Bridgewater spent $515 per resident in 2022; the 4 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $1,340 to $4,715. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Roxbury | $1,340 | $6,591 |
| Southbury | $3,487 | $6,240 |
| Newtown | $3,565 runs schools | $9,727 |
| Brookfield | $4,715 runs schools | $7,594 |
| New Milford | estimate | $6,150 |
| Bridgewater | $515 | $6,869 |
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 Bridgewater’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Bridgewater’s government
How much does Bridgewater spend per resident?
About $515 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $515 was more than 67% of 8637 U.S. towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Bridgewater?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $6,869 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.99% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.81% across Connecticut. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see bridgewater-ct.gov.
Who runs Bridgewater’s government?
See bridgewater-ct.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Bridgewater yet.
How did Bridgewater vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 51.7%, Donald J Trump 46.6% (1,175 votes, official results). . Connecticut: Harris 56.4%, Trump 41.9%.
How many people work for Bridgewater?
12 full-time and 21 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $78,711 (about $944,532 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Bridgewater’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; 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 →