Photo: Alex756 · CC BY-SA 3.0In East Lyme, 78% of adult citizens voted for president in 2024, more than across Connecticut
East Lyme’s town government spent $151.9 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $8,085 per resident. Water and other utilities ($2.8 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how East Lyme is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
East Lyme School District
East Lyme’s K–12 school district. The schools are run by East Lyme, so this money is part of the budget above.
Of the $26,780 per pupil, $14,582 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 $8,085 per resident a year, or $22.15 a day
Schools are part of the town’s budget, so they lead the receipt: 45% of day-to-day spending.
Thank you for being a neighbor
East Lyme runs its own schools, so school spending is part of this budget.
No comparison or trend for East Lyme yet
The fair comparison uses 2022, the last year the Census Bureau counted every government (later years are a sample), and East Lyme’s 2022 figures are a Census estimate (it reported 31% of its 2022 dollars). It reported 2024 only (2022 and 2023 are estimates), so there is no trend yet either. The next full count is 2027.
How Town Hall compares budgets →The typical homeowner pays $6,087 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.48% 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 East Lyme’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 East Lyme’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in East Lyme →
Who’s in charge in East Lyme
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
East Lyme’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on eltownhall.com ↗.
One full-time town employee for every 29 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (18,788).
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 East Lyme voted in 2024
Official results for East Lyme’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat61.7%7,272 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican36.7%4,326 votesOthers: 1.6% (193 votes).
Most votes in East Lyme: Kamala D Harris
Connecticut: Harris 56.4%, Trump 41.9%
of East Lyme’s 15,040 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Connecticut: 66%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in East Lyme: Christopher S Murphy
Connecticut: Murphy 58.6%, Corey 39.7%
President, 2024: East Lyme, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Lyme | 61.7% | 36.7% | 1.6% | 11,791 |
| 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 East Lyme compares with the towns next door
East Lyme’s 2022 figures are a Census estimate, so it isn’t placed among them. Neighbors that reported 2022 spent $964 to $4,842 per resident. Tap a town to see its page.
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 East Lyme’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about East Lyme’s government
How much does East Lyme spend per resident?
About $8,085 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau.
What is the property tax rate in East Lyme?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $6,087 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.48% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.81% across Connecticut. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see eltownhall.com.
Who runs East Lyme’s government?
See eltownhall.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for East Lyme yet.
How did East Lyme vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 61.7%, Donald J Trump 36.7% (11,791 votes, official results). . Connecticut: Harris 56.4%, Trump 41.9%.
How many people work for East Lyme?
637 full-time and 131 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $3.7M (about $44.3M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about East Lyme’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 →