Photo: Magicpiano · CC BY-SA 4.0Hamden spent less per resident in 2022 than 67% of similar towns
Hamden’s town government spent $373.7 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $6,146 per resident.
Legislative Council
7:00 pm · Memorial Town Hall, 2372 Whitney Avenue
All meetings →What stands out about how Hamden is run
Read from the town’s budget, meetings and official records.
6 upcoming meetings at town hall
From Hamden’s own agenda portal, checked daily. Agendas can change up to the meeting, so check before you go.
- Nov2Legislative CouncilMonday · 7:00 pm · Memorial Town Hall, 2372 Whitney AvenueLegislative Council Special Meeting - November 2ndAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov3Civil Service CommissionTuesday · 9:00 am · Hamden Government Center, 1st Floor Conference Room, 2750 Dixwell AvenueCivil Service Commission Regular Meeting - First TuesdayAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov4Veterans CommissionWednesday · 5:30 pm · Hamden Government Center, Recreation Conference Room, 2750 Dixwell AvenueVeterans Commission Regular MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov4Legislative CouncilWednesday · 6:00 pm · Memorial Town Hall, 2372 Whitney AvenueAudit Committee Special Meeting - November 4thMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov4Inland Wetlands CommissionWednesday · 7:00 pm · 2372 Whitney Avenue, Legislative Council Chambers, Memorial Town HallInland Wetlands Commission Regular MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov4Arts CommissionWednesday · 7:00 pm · Hamden Government Center, Third Floor Conference Room, 2750 Dixwell AvenueArts Commission Regular MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
Recent meetings
- Oct28Legislative CouncilWednesday · 7:00 pm · Memorial Town Hall, 2372 Whitney AvenueLegislative Council w/Committee of the Whole Special MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Oct28Tree Appeal HearingWednesday · 12:00 pm · Hamden Government Center, 1st Floor Conference Room, 2750 Dixwell AveCANCELLED - Tree Removal HearingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Oct28South Central Regional Council of GovernmentsWednesday · 10:00 am · 127 Washington Ave, 4th Floor WestSCRCOG Board & Executive Committee Regular MeetingMeeting page ↗
- Oct27Arts CommissionTuesday · 7:30 pm · Hamden Government Center, Third Floor Conference Room, 2750 Dixwell AvenueArts Commission Special MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Oct27Planning & Zoning CommissionTuesday · 7:00 pmCANCELED: Planning & Zoning Commission Regular MeetingMeeting page ↗
Most meetings are open to the public, and many have a public comment period at the start.
Agenda portal ↗About $6,146 per resident a year, or $16.84 a day
Schools are part of the town’s budget, so they lead the receipt: 41% of day-to-day spending.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Hamden runs its own schools, so school spending is part of this budget. Comparisons are with Connecticut towns and townships of 50,000–99,999 that run their own schools.
$4,544 per resident in 2022: less than 67% of them
Hamden’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($4,544 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 18 Connecticut towns and townships of 50,000–99,999 that run their own schools: the median was $5,102, and the middle half spent $3,995–$5,868. Hamden spent less than 67% of them.
Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Connecticut towns and townships of 50,000–99,999 that run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Hamden itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is up 36% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Hamden reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.
Day-to-day spending by fiscal year
Per resident: 2022: $4,544 · 2023: $5,039 · 2024: $6,146.
full-time in March 2025, up from 1,273 in 2022.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $7,784 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 2.61% 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 Hamden’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 Hamden’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Hamden →
Who’s in charge in Hamden
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time town employee for every 44 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (60,809).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Hamden School District
Hamden’s K–12 school district. The schools are run by Hamden, so this money is part of the budget above.
Of the $27,043 per pupil, $17,315 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 Hamden voted in 2024
Official results for Hamden’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat72.9%20,222 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican25.5%7,066 votesOthers: 1.7% (460 votes).
Most votes in Hamden: Kamala D Harris
Connecticut: Harris 56.4%, Trump 41.9%
of Hamden’s 47,338 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Connecticut: 66%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Hamden: Christopher S Murphy
Connecticut: Murphy 58.6%, Corey 39.7%
President, 2024: Hamden, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hamden | 72.9% | 25.5% | 1.7% | 27,748 |
| 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 Hamden compares with the towns next door
Hamden spent $4,544 per resident in 2022; the 3 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $6,282 to $6,947. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Woodbridge | $6,282 runs schools | $10,000+ |
| New Haven | $6,610 runs schools | $6,430 |
| Wallingford | $6,947 runs schools | $5,963 |
| North Haven | estimate | $6,964 |
| Bethany | estimate | $8,313 |
| Cheshire | estimate | $7,755 |
| Hamden | $4,544 | $7,784 |
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 Hamden’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Hamden’s government
How much does Hamden spend per resident?
About $6,146 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $4,544 was less than 67% of 18 Connecticut towns and townships of 50,000–99,999 that run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Hamden?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $7,784 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 2.61% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.81% across Connecticut. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see hamden.com.
Who runs Hamden’s government?
See hamden.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Hamden yet.
How did Hamden vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 72.9%, Donald J Trump 25.5% (27,748 votes, official results). . Connecticut: Harris 56.4%, Trump 41.9%.
How many people work for Hamden?
1,367 full-time and 271 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $10.5M (about $126.6M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
When is the next public meeting in Hamden?
The next posted meeting is Legislative Council on Monday, November 2, at 7:00 pm in Memorial Town Hall, 2372 Whitney Avenue, from the town’s own agenda portal.
Ask neighbors about Hamden’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 →