Photo: T.S. Custadio aka ToddC4176 at en.wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0In Bourne, 72% of adult citizens voted for president in 2024, more than across Massachusetts
Bourne’s town government spent $101 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $4,888 per resident.
What stands out about how Bourne is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
Bourne School District
Bourne’s K–12 school district. The schools are run by Bourne, so this money is part of the budget above.
Of the $25,942 per pupil, $16,770 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.
About $4,888 per resident a year, or $13.39 a day
Schools are part of the town’s budget, so they lead the receipt: 44% of day-to-day spending.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Bourne runs its own schools, so school spending is part of this budget. Comparisons are with Massachusetts towns and townships of 10,000–24,999 that run their own schools.
$4,328 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar towns
Bourne’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($4,328 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 75 Massachusetts towns and townships of 10,000–24,999 that run their own schools: the median was $4,576, and the middle half spent $3,716–$5,278. Bourne spent less than 56% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($11.2 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 →
Massachusetts towns and townships of 10,000–24,999 that run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Bourne itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is up 18% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Bourne 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: $4,328 · 2023: $4,247 · 2024: $4,888. Per resident it went from $4,328 to $4,888 (up 13%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 19,743 to 20,667.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $4,485 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.78% of the home’s value, vs 1.07% across Massachusetts.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Bourne’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 Bourne’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Bourne →
Who’s in charge in Bourne
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Bourne’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on townofbourne.com ↗.
One full-time town employee for every 43 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (20,667).
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.
How Bourne voted in 2024
Official results for Bourne’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat51.6%6,265 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican46.2%5,609 votesOthers: 2.3% (277 votes).
Most votes in Bourne: Kamala D Harris
Barnstable County: Harris 59.2%, Trump 38.6% · Massachusetts: Harris 61.2%, Trump 36.0%
of Bourne’s 16,829 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Massachusetts: 67%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Bourne: John Deaton
Barnstable County: Warren 55.3%, Deaton 44.6% · Massachusetts: Warren 59.8%, Deaton 40.0%
Most votes in the district: Bill Keating
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Bourne, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bourne | 51.6% | 46.2% | 2.3% | 12,151 |
| Barnstable County | 59.2% | 38.6% | 2.2% | 148,785 |
| 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 Bourne.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: townofbourne.com ↗
- 2Massachusetts HouseBourne 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 Bourne compares with the towns next door
Bourne spent $4,328 per resident in 2022; the 5 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $3,908 to $4,872. 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 Bourne’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Bourne’s government
How much does Bourne spend per resident?
About $4,888 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 $4,328 was less than 56% of 75 Massachusetts towns and townships of 10,000–24,999 that run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Bourne?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $4,485 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.78% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.07% across Massachusetts. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see townofbourne.com.
Who runs Bourne’s government?
See townofbourne.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Bourne yet.
How did Bourne vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 51.6%, Donald J Trump 46.2% (12,151 votes, official results). Barnstable County: Harris 59.2%, Trump 38.6%. Massachusetts: Harris 61.2%, Trump 36.0%.
How many people work for Bourne?
483 full-time and 90 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $3.3M (about $40.0M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Bourne in the state legislature?
Bourne is split among 2 State House districts, so your address decides. The Massachusetts Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Its State Senate district is District Plymouth and Barnstable (Dylan Fernandes). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Bourne’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 →