Photo: John Phelan · CC BY 3.0In Cheshire, 71% of adult citizens voted for president in 2024, more than across Massachusetts
Cheshire’s town government spent $3.7 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $1,197 per resident. Water and other utilities ($405,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Cheshire is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$1,197 per resident in 2022: less than 79% of them
Cheshire’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,197 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 $1,369, and the middle half spent $1,214–$1,619. Cheshire spent less than 79% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($142,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
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; Cheshire itself left out).
About $1,197 per resident a year, or $3.28 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 40%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Cheshire reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $3,005 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.12% 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 Cheshire’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 Cheshire’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Cheshire →
Who’s in charge in Cheshire
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time town employee for every 259 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 (3,105).
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.
Hoosac Valley School District
Cheshire’s K–12 school district, shared with Adams. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $23,222 per pupil, $13,249 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 Cheshire voted in 2024
Official results for Cheshire’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat53.2%1,032 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican45.2%876 votesOthers: 1.6% (32 votes).
Most votes in Cheshire: Kamala D Harris
Berkshire County: Harris 68.6%, Trump 28.8% · Massachusetts: Harris 61.2%, Trump 36.0%
of Cheshire’s 2,722 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Massachusetts: 67%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Cheshire: Elizabeth Ann Warren
Berkshire County: Warren 70.0%, Deaton 29.9% · Massachusetts: Warren 59.8%, Deaton 40.0%
Most votes in the district: Richard E Neal
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Cheshire, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cheshire | 53.2% | 45.2% | 1.6% | 1,940 |
| Berkshire County | 68.6% | 28.8% | 2.6% | 68,674 |
| 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 Cheshire.
- 1Your townTown governmentLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 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 Cheshire compares with the towns next door
Cheshire spent $1,197 per resident in 2022; the 5 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $1,144 to $3,818. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Dalton | $1,144 | $4,276 |
| Lanesborough | $1,412 | $5,007 |
| Windsor | $2,203 | $3,867 |
| New Ashford | $3,592 runs schools | $3,196 |
| Savoy | $3,818 runs schools | $2,966 |
| Cheshire | $1,197 | $3,005 |
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 Cheshire’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Cheshire’s government
How much does Cheshire spend per resident?
About $1,197 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 $1,197 was less than 79% 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 Cheshire?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,005 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.12% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.07% across Massachusetts. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the town’s assessor.
Who runs Cheshire’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Cheshire yet.
How did Cheshire vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 53.2%, Donald J Trump 45.2% (1,940 votes, official results). Berkshire County: Harris 68.6%, Trump 28.8%. Massachusetts: Harris 61.2%, Trump 36.0%.
How many people work for Cheshire?
12 full-time and 13 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $75,364 (about $904,368 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Cheshire in the state legislature?
State Senate District Berkshire-Hampden-Franklin-Hampshire (Paul Mark) and State House District 1st Berkshire (John Barrett). The House district also covers 12 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Cheshire’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 →