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Becket Arts CenterPhoto: ToddC4176 · CC BY-SA 3.0
Town Hall · Becket

In Becket, 75% of adult citizens voted for president in 2024, more than across Massachusetts

Becket’s town government spent $4.6 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $2,684 per resident.

Town website
Election Day

Tomorrow

General election in Massachusetts.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$4.6M
year to June 30, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$2,684
In 2022: $2,684, more than 76% of 34 similar towns
Long-term debt
$2.5M
end of FY2022, reported
Town staff, 2022
22
full-time · 29 part-time · March payroll $173,780
Typical tax bill
$3,047
0.84% of home value · MA 1.07%

What stands out about how Becket is run

Read from the town’s budget and official records.

Compared with similar places

$2,684 per resident in 2022: more than 76% of them

Becket’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($2,684 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 34 Massachusetts towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $2,057, and the middle half spent $1,652–$2,633. Becket spent more than 76% of them.

Middle half of the group, $1,652–$2,633Median $2,057Becket

Includes sewer and trash ($160,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →

The group
34

Massachusetts towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Becket itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $2,684 per resident a year, or $7.35 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 19%.

Where the money comes from
Property taxes 78%From the state 15%Fees & charges 5%Other taxes & licenses 1%Interest, fines & other <1%Sales taxes <1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $2.4 million; interest on debt $79,000; payments to other governments $2.4 million. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $9.4 million.
About “Other”.41% of Becket’s day-to-day spending ($1.9 million) is filed by the Census Bureau outside the named functions above, so the receipt can’t say what it buys.
Over the years

No trend yet

Becket reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $3,047 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.84% of the home’s value, vs 1.07% across Massachusetts.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Massachusetts$5,992
Middlefield$4,926
Tyringham$4,632
Chester$4,522
Washington$4,381
Lee$3,980
Becket$3,047
Otis$2,408
$3,047
typical bill a year
0.84%
effective rate
$361,000
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Becket’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. In a town this small the estimate has a wide margin.

Tax bills are one input to Becket’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Becket →

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Becket

Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.

See townofbecket.org for Becket’s current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Becket yet.townofbecket.org ↗
Agendas

Becket’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on townofbecket.org ↗.

Who works for Becket

One full-time town employee for every 78 residents

On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (1,707).

By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022

Administration & buildings8 + 10 pt
Health & welfare3 + 12 pt
Police5 + 3 pt
Roads & transportation6
Sewer & trash0 + 3 pt
Fire0 + 1 pt
22
full-time
29
part-time
$173,780
payroll for March 2022
$2.1M
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$68,100
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
5
sworn police officers
Compared, 2022.Becket had 12.9 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 19 of the 34 Massachusetts towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 7.0: Becket had more than 89% of them. Same group and year as the budget comparison.

The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.

The school district

Central Berkshire School District

Becket’s K–12 school district, shared with Cummington, Dalton, Hinsdale, Peru, Washington and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Becket →
$21,946
per pupil · MA $26,530
1,561
students
$31 million
long-term debt

Of the $21,946 per pupil, $12,540 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.

The district: schools, scores and graduation →

Where the district’s money comes from
Local 53%State 38%Federal 9%

Massachusetts districts overall: 49% local, 43% state, 8% federal.

School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.

Elections · 2024 general election

How Becket voted in 2024

Official results for Becket’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.

President1,235 votes · results as certified
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat60.2%743 votes
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican36.3%448 votes

Others: 3.6% (44 votes).

Most votes in Becket: Kamala D Harris

Berkshire County: Harris 68.6%, Trump 28.8% · Massachusetts: Harris 61.2%, Trump 36.0%

Turnout
75%

of Becket’s 1,655 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Massachusetts: 67%.

Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).

U.S. Senate1,207 votes
Elizabeth Ann WarrenDemocrat62.3%
John DeatonRepublican37.5%
Others0.2%

Most votes in Becket: Elizabeth Ann Warren

Berkshire County: Warren 70.0%, Deaton 29.9% · Massachusetts: Warren 59.8%, Deaton 40.0%

U.S. House · Massachusetts’s 1st District358,058 votes
Richard E NealDemocrat62.4%
Nadia Donya Milleron37.3%
Others0.3%

Most votes in the district: Richard E Neal

Whole-district result

President, 2024: Becket, its county and the state

HarrisTrumpOthersVotes
Becket60.2%36.3%3.6%1,235
Berkshire County68.6%28.8%2.6%68,674
Massachusetts61.2%36.0%2.8%3,473,668
DemocratRepublicanLibertarianIndependent / other

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.

Who represents Becket

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Becket.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your townTown government
  2. 2
    Massachusetts HouseState representatives
  3. 3
    Massachusetts SenateState senator
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Massachusetts

Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.

Next door

How Becket compares with the towns next door

Becket spent $2,684 per resident in 2022; the 6 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $1,651 to $5,638. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.

Spends the leastSpends the mostEstimate or no figures
TownDay-to-day, per resident (2022)Tax bill
Chester$1,651$4,522
Middlefield$1,708$4,926
Otis$2,504$2,408
Washington$2,738$4,381
Tyringham$4,410 runs schools$4,632
Lee$5,638 runs schools$3,980
Becket$2,684$3,047

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 Becket’s government

The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Becket’s government

How much does Becket spend per resident?

About $2,684 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $2,684 was more than 76% of 34 Massachusetts towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Becket?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,047 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.84% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.07% across Massachusetts. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see townofbecket.org.

Who runs Becket’s government?

See townofbecket.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Becket yet.

How did Becket vote in 2024?

For president, Kamala D Harris 60.2%, Donald J Trump 36.3% (1,235 votes, official results). Berkshire County: Harris 68.6%, Trump 28.8%. Massachusetts: Harris 61.2%, Trump 36.0%.

How many people work for Becket?

22 full-time and 29 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $173,780 (about $2.1M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Becket in the state legislature?

State Senate District Berkshire-Hampden-Franklin-Hampshire (Paul Mark) and State House District 3rd Berkshire (Leigh Davis). The House district also covers 17 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Becket’s government

Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.

Town Square →
Ask neighbors

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 →