Photo: Beyond My Ken · CC BY-SA 4.0Cambridge runs its own hospital
Cambridge’s city government spent $705.6 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $5,955 per resident. It also runs a hospital ($991.4 million) and water utilities ($19.2 million), counted separately. Census Bureau figures.
What stands out about how Cambridge is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
About $5,955 per resident a year, or $16.32 a day
Schools are part of the city’s budget, so they lead the receipt: 45% of day-to-day spending.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Cambridge runs its own schools, so school spending is part of this budget. Comparisons are with Massachusetts cities of 100,000–249,999 that run their own schools.
$4,730 per resident in 2022: more than 68% of them
Cambridge’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($4,730 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 22 Massachusetts cities of 100,000–249,999 that run their own schools: the median was $4,284, and the middle half spent $3,970–$4,965. Cambridge spent more than 68% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($11.7 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 cities of 100,000–249,999 that run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Cambridge itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is up 25% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Cambridge 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: $4,730 · 2023: $5,317 · 2024: $5,955.
full-time in March 2025 (hospital, health & welfare left out), up from 3,114 in 2022. Both are Census estimates.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $4,802 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.44% 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 Cambridge’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 Cambridge’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Cambridge →
Who’s in charge in Cambridge
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Cambridge’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on cambridgema.gov ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 37 residents, not counting hospital, health & welfare staff
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (118,488).
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.
Cambridge School District
Cambridge’s K–12 school district. The schools are run by Cambridge, so this money is part of the budget above.
Of the $40,789 per pupil, $22,452 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 Cambridge voted in 2024
Official results for Cambridge’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat87.2%43,690 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican8.3%4,159 votesOthers: 4.5% (2,273 votes).
Most votes in Cambridge: Kamala D Harris
Middlesex County: Harris 68.0%, Trump 28.9% · Massachusetts: Harris 61.2%, Trump 36.0%
of Cambridge’s 83,714 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Massachusetts: 67%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Cambridge: Elizabeth Ann Warren
Middlesex County: Warren 66.5%, Deaton 33.3% · Massachusetts: Warren 59.8%, Deaton 40.0%
U.S. House, 2024: 2 districts cover Cambridge, so your street decides which race was yours. All 2 districts’ results →
President, 2024: Cambridge, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cambridge | 87.2% | 8.3% | 4.5% | 50,122 |
| 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
Cambridge sends 6 representatives to the Massachusetts House alone.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: cambridgema.gov ↗
- 2Massachusetts HouseCambridge is split between 6 districts
- 3Massachusetts SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseSplit between districts
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Massachusetts
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Cambridge compares with the towns next door
Cambridge spent $4,730 per resident in 2022; the 5 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $3,974 to $6,049. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Watertown | $3,974 runs schools | $6,799 |
| Somerville | $4,039 runs schools | $6,186 |
| Arlington | $4,437 runs schools | $9,604 |
| Belmont | $5,010 runs schools | $10,000+ |
| Boston | $6,049 runs schools | $4,456 |
| Cambridge | $4,730 | $4,802 |
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 Cambridge’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Cambridge’s government
How much does Cambridge spend per resident?
About $5,955 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. Cambridge also runs a hospital ($991.4 million), counted separately. In 2022, the last full count, its $4,730 was more than 68% of 22 Massachusetts cities of 100,000–249,999 that run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Cambridge?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $4,802 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.44% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.07% across Massachusetts. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cambridgema.gov.
Who runs Cambridge’s government?
See cambridgema.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Cambridge yet.
How did Cambridge vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 87.2%, Donald J Trump 8.3% (50,122 votes, official results). Middlesex County: Harris 68.0%, Trump 28.9%. Massachusetts: Harris 61.2%, Trump 36.0%.
How many people work for Cambridge?
3,234 full-time and 2,003 part-time employees in March 2025 (plus 3,539 full-time hospital, health & welfare staff), with a March payroll of $74.0M (about $887.9M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Cambridge in the state legislature?
Cambridge is split among 6 State House districts and 3 State Senate districts, so your address decides. The Massachusetts Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Cambridge’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 →