Photo: Beyond My Ken3 · CC BY-SA 4.0Chilmark spent more per resident in 2022 than 100% of similar towns
Chilmark’s town government spent $8 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $8,549 per resident.
What stands out about how Chilmark is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$8,549 per resident in 2022: more than 100% of them
Chilmark’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($8,549 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. Chilmark spent more than 100% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($162,000), 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 under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Chilmark itself left out).
About $8,549 per resident a year, or $23.42 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 16%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Chilmark reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $4,485 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.24% 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 Chilmark’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 Chilmark’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Chilmark →
Who’s in charge in Chilmark
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Chilmark’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on ci.chilmark.ma.us ↗.
One full-time town employee for every 47 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (930).
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.
Martha's Vineyard School District
Chilmark’s high school district, shared with Aquinnah, Edgartown, Oak Bluffs, Tisbury, West Tisbury. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $44,683 per pupil, $29,430 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.
Up-Island Regional School District · $39,915 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
How Chilmark voted in 2024
Official results for Chilmark’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat83.6%778 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican13.2%123 votesOthers: 3.2% (30 votes).
Most votes in Chilmark: Kamala D Harris
Dukes County: Harris 74.8%, Trump 22.5% · Massachusetts: Harris 61.2%, Trump 36.0%
Most votes in Chilmark: Elizabeth Ann Warren
Dukes County: Warren 72.9%, Deaton 27.0% · Massachusetts: Warren 59.8%, Deaton 40.0%
Most votes in the district: Bill Keating
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Chilmark, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chilmark | 83.6% | 13.2% | 3.2% | 931 |
| Dukes County | 74.8% | 22.5% | 2.7% | 12,209 |
| 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 Chilmark.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: ci.chilmark.ma.us ↗
- 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 Chilmark compares with the towns next door
Chilmark spent $8,549 per resident in 2022; the 2 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $1,960 to $2,987. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Gosnold | $1,960 runs schools | $2,667 |
| West Tisbury | $2,987 | $6,497 |
| Aquinnah | estimate | $10,000+ |
| Chilmark | $8,549 | $4,485 |
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 Chilmark’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Chilmark’s government
How much does Chilmark spend per resident?
About $8,549 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 $8,549 was more than 100% of 34 Massachusetts towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Chilmark?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $4,485 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.24% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.07% across Massachusetts. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see ci.chilmark.ma.us.
Who runs Chilmark’s government?
See ci.chilmark.ma.us for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Chilmark yet.
How did Chilmark vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 83.6%, Donald J Trump 13.2% (931 votes, official results). Dukes County: Harris 74.8%, Trump 22.5%. Massachusetts: Harris 61.2%, Trump 36.0%.
How many people work for Chilmark?
20 full-time and 52 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $270,267 (about $3.2M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Chilmark in the state legislature?
State Senate District Cape and Islands (Julian Cyr) and State House District Barnstable-Dukes-Nantucket (Thomas Moakley). The House district also covers eight other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Chilmark’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 →