Florence Griswold House and Museum · Photo: Pi.1415926535 · CC BY-SA 3.0Old Lyme spent more per resident in 2022 than 100% of similar towns
Old Lyme’s town government spent $36.1 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2023, about $4,762 per resident.
What stands out about how Old Lyme is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$4,842 per resident in 2022: more than 100% of them
Old Lyme’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($4,842 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 2268 U.S. towns and townships of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $304, and the middle half spent $130–$521. Old Lyme spent more than 100% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($1.2 million), as the Census Bureau counts 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 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Old Lyme itself left out).
About $4,762 per resident a year, or $13.05 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 8%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 2% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Old Lyme 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: $4,842 · 2023: $4,762.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $6,284 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.30% 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 Old 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 Old Lyme’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Old Lyme →
Who’s in charge in Old Lyme
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Old Lyme’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on oldlyme-ct.gov ↗.
One full-time town employee for every 223 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2023 finance file (7,577).
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 18
Old Lyme’s K–12 school district, shared with Lyme. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $28,930 per pupil, $15,749 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 Old Lyme voted in 2024
Official results for Old Lyme’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat58.3%3,107 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican39.9%2,127 votesOthers: 1.8% (97 votes).
Most votes in Old Lyme: Kamala D Harris
Connecticut: Harris 56.4%, Trump 41.9%
of Old Lyme’s 5,836 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Connecticut: 66%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Old Lyme: Christopher S Murphy
Connecticut: Murphy 58.6%, Corey 39.7%
President, 2024: Old Lyme, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Old Lyme | 58.3% | 39.9% | 1.8% | 5,331 |
| 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 Old Lyme compares with the towns next door
Old Lyme spent $4,842 per resident in 2022; the 2 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $964 to $4,786. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Lyme | $964 | $7,328 |
| Old Saybrook | $4,786 runs schools | $5,272 |
| East Lyme | estimate | $6,087 |
| Old Lyme | $4,842 | $6,284 |
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 Old Lyme’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Old Lyme’s government
How much does Old Lyme spend per resident?
About $4,762 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2023, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $4,842 was more than 100% of 2268 U.S. towns and townships of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Old Lyme?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $6,284 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.30% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.81% across Connecticut. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see oldlyme-ct.gov.
Who runs Old Lyme’s government?
See oldlyme-ct.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Old Lyme yet.
How did Old Lyme vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 58.3%, Donald J Trump 39.9% (5,331 votes, official results). . Connecticut: Harris 56.4%, Trump 41.9%.
How many people work for Old Lyme?
34 full-time and 33 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $222,672 (about $2.7M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Old 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 →