Photo: Joe Mabel · CC BY-SA 3.0How is Meriden run?
Meriden’s city government spent $176.4 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $2,928 per resident.
What stands out about how Meriden is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
Meriden School District
Meriden’s K–12 school district. The schools are run by Meriden, so this money is part of the budget above.
Of the $19,289 per pupil, $11,480 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 $2,928 per resident a year, or $8.02 a day
Schools are part of the city’s budget, so they lead the receipt: 100% of day-to-day spending.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Meriden runs its own schools, so school spending is part of this budget.
No comparison for Meriden yet
The fair comparison uses 2022, the last year the Census Bureau counted every government (later years are a sample). Meriden’s 2022 figures are a Census estimate (it reported 25% of its 2022 dollars), so it has no like-for-like peer figure. It reported 2024; the next full count is 2027.
How Town Hall compares budgets →Day-to-day spending has held about steady since 2023
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Meriden reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.
Day-to-day spending by fiscal year
Per resident: 2023: $2,899 · 2024: $2,928.
full-time in March 2025, down from 1,610 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 $5,129 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 2.13% 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 Meriden’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 Meriden’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Meriden →
Who’s in charge in Meriden
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Meriden’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on cityofmeriden.org ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 39 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 (60,242).
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.
How Meriden voted in 2024
Official results for Meriden’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat56.0%13,326 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican42.6%10,131 votesOthers: 1.5% (347 votes).
Most votes in Meriden: Kamala D Harris
New Haven County: Harris 55.0%, Trump 43.1% · Connecticut: Harris 56.4%, Trump 41.9%
of Meriden’s 43,964 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Connecticut: 66%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Meriden: Christopher S Murphy
New Haven County: Murphy 58.2%, Corey 40.0% · Connecticut: Murphy 58.6%, Corey 39.7%
Most votes in the district: Jahana Hayes
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Meriden, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meriden | 56.0% | 42.6% | 1.5% | 23,804 |
| New Haven County | 55.0% | 43.1% | 1.9% | 397,987 |
| 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.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for Meriden.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: cityofmeriden.org ↗
- 2Connecticut HouseMeriden is split between 3 districts
- 3Connecticut SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Connecticut
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Meriden compares with the towns next door
Meriden’s 2022 figures are a Census estimate, so it isn’t placed among them. Neighbors that reported 2022 spent $4,246 to $6,947 per resident. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Southington | $4,246 runs schools | $6,206 |
| Berlin | $4,727 runs schools | $7,291 |
| Wallingford | $6,947 runs schools | $5,963 |
| Cheshire | estimate | $7,755 |
| Middlefield | estimate | $6,853 |
| Middletown | estimate | $6,412 |
| Meriden | estimate | $5,129 |
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 Meriden’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Meriden’s government
How much does Meriden spend per resident?
About $2,928 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 Meriden?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $5,129 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 2.13% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.81% across Connecticut. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cityofmeriden.org.
Who runs Meriden’s government?
See cityofmeriden.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Meriden yet.
How did Meriden vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 56.0%, Donald J Trump 42.6% (23,804 votes, official results). New Haven County: Harris 55.0%, Trump 43.1%. Connecticut: Harris 56.4%, Trump 41.9%.
How many people work for Meriden?
1,555 full-time and 581 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $12.3M (about $147.3M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Meriden in the state legislature?
Meriden is split among 3 State House districts, so your address decides. The Connecticut Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Its State Senate district is District 13 (Jan Hochadel). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Meriden’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 →