Photo: Bob Linsdell · CC BY 3.0Chatham spent more per resident in 2022 than 98% of similar towns
Chatham’s town government spent $29.9 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2023, about $4,466 per resident. Water and other utilities ($2.1 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Chatham is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$4,694 per resident in 2022: more than 98% of them
Chatham’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($4,694 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 48 Massachusetts towns and townships of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,363, and the middle half spent $1,208–$1,583. Chatham spent more than 98% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($2.8 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 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Chatham itself left out).
About $4,466 per resident a year, or $12.24 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: fire, at 14%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 6% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Chatham 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: $4,694 · 2023: $4,466. Per resident it went from $4,694 to $4,466 (down 5%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 5,994 to 6,703.
full-time in March 2025, up from 123 in 2022.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $4,094 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.43% 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 Chatham’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 Chatham’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Chatham →
Who’s in charge in Chatham
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Chatham’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on chatham-ma.gov ↗.
One full-time town employee for every 45 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2023 finance file (6,703).
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.
Monomoy Regional School District
Chatham’s K–12 school district, shared with Harwich. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $27,536 per pupil, $16,995 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 Chatham voted in 2024
Official results for Chatham’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat61.1%2,962 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican36.0%1,746 votesOthers: 2.8% (136 votes).
Most votes in Chatham: Kamala D Harris
Barnstable County: Harris 59.2%, Trump 38.6% · Massachusetts: Harris 61.2%, Trump 36.0%
of Chatham’s 5,843 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Massachusetts: 67%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Chatham: Elizabeth Ann Warren
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: Chatham, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chatham | 61.1% | 36.0% | 2.8% | 4,844 |
| 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 Chatham.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: chatham-ma.gov ↗
- 2Massachusetts HouseState representatives
- 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 Chatham compares with the towns next door
Chatham spent $4,694 per resident in 2022; the 2 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $2,627 to $5,050. 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 Chatham’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Chatham’s government
How much does Chatham spend per resident?
About $4,466 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 $4,694 was more than 98% of 48 Massachusetts towns and townships of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Chatham?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $4,094 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.43% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.07% across Massachusetts. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see chatham-ma.gov.
Who runs Chatham’s government?
See chatham-ma.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Chatham yet.
How did Chatham vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 61.1%, Donald J Trump 36.0% (4,844 votes, official results). Barnstable County: Harris 59.2%, Trump 38.6%. Massachusetts: Harris 61.2%, Trump 36.0%.
How many people work for Chatham?
150 full-time and 31 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $1.3M (about $15.4M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Chatham in the state legislature?
State Senate District Cape and Islands (Julian Cyr) and State House District 4th Barnstable (Hadley Luddy). The House district also covers six other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Chatham’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 →