Jonathan and Simon Hosmer House · Photo: John Phelan · CC BY-SA 4.0Acton spent more per resident in 2022 than 80% of similar towns
Acton’s town government spent $49.2 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $2,066 per resident.
What stands out about how Acton is run
Read from the town’s budget, meetings and official records.
1 upcoming meeting at town hall
From Acton’s own agenda portal, checked daily. Agendas can change up to the meeting, so check before you go.
- Nov28Select BoardSaturday · 6:30 pmAgenda Creation TrainingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
Recent meetings
- Oct31Select BoardSaturday · 6:00 pmItem Creation TrainingMeeting page ↗
- Oct22Select BoardThursday · 6:00 pmMeeting page ↗
- Oct17Select BoardSaturday · 6:00 pmExample AgendaMeeting page ↗
- Oct2Planning BoardFriday · 6:00 pmPlanning TestMeeting page ↗
- Sep29Select BoardTuesday · 6:00 pmTemplate ReviewMeeting page ↗
Most meetings are open to the public, and many have a public comment period at the start.
Agenda portal ↗About $2,066 per resident a year, or $5.66 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 13%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,792 per resident in 2022: more than 80% of them
Acton’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,792 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 15 Massachusetts towns and townships of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,362, and the middle half spent $1,178–$1,616. Acton spent more than 80% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($1.4 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 →
Massachusetts towns and townships of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Acton itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is up 17% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Acton 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: $1,792 · 2024: $2,066.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
Typical bills top $10,000 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Acton’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 Acton’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Acton →
Who’s in charge in Acton
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
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 (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (23,829).
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.
Acton-Boxborough Regional School District
Acton’s K–12 school district, shared with Boxborough. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $22,114 per pupil, $14,113 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.
Massachusetts districts overall: 49% local, 43% state, 8% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
How Acton voted in 2024
Official results for Acton’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat77.2%10,177 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican19.2%2,536 votesOthers: 3.6% (469 votes).
Most votes in Acton: Kamala D Harris
Middlesex County: Harris 68.0%, Trump 28.9% · Massachusetts: Harris 61.2%, Trump 36.0%
of Acton’s 15,568 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Massachusetts: 67%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Acton: Elizabeth Ann Warren
Middlesex County: Warren 66.5%, Deaton 33.3% · Massachusetts: Warren 59.8%, Deaton 40.0%
Most votes in the district: Lori Loureiro Trahan
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Acton, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acton | 77.2% | 19.2% | 3.6% | 13,182 |
| Middlesex County | 68.0% | 28.9% | 3.1% | 814,832 |
| Massachusetts | 61.2% | 36.0% | 2.8% | 3,473,668 |
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 Acton.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: acton-ma.gov ↗
- 2Massachusetts HouseActon is split between 2 districts
- 3Massachusetts SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Massachusetts
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Acton compares with the towns next door
Acton spent $1,792 per resident in 2022; the 6 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $1,542 to $6,234. Towns that run more services spend more. 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 Acton’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Acton’s government
How much does Acton spend per resident?
About $2,066 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 $1,792 was more than 80% of 15 Massachusetts towns and townships of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.
Who runs Acton’s government?
See acton-ma.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Acton yet.
How did Acton vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 77.2%, Donald J Trump 19.2% (13,182 votes, official results). Middlesex County: Harris 68.0%, Trump 28.9%. Massachusetts: Harris 61.2%, Trump 36.0%.
How many people work for Acton?
175 full-time and 91 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $1.5M (about $18.0M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Acton in the state legislature?
Acton is split among 2 State House districts, so your address decides. The Massachusetts Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Its State Senate district is District Middlesex and Worcester (Jamie Eldridge). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
When is the next public meeting in Acton?
The next posted meeting is Select Board on Saturday, November 28, at 6:30 pm, from the town’s own agenda portal.
Ask neighbors about Acton’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 →