Photo: ToddC4176 · CC BY-SA 3.0Dartmouth spent less per resident in 2022 than 97% of similar towns
Dartmouth’s town government spent $134.5 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $4,027 per resident. Water and other utilities ($4.9 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Dartmouth is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$3,425 per resident in 2022: less than 97% of them
Dartmouth’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($3,425 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 30 Massachusetts towns and townships of 25,000–49,999 that run their own schools: the median was $4,591, and the middle half spent $4,147–$5,138. Dartmouth spent less than 97% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($3.2 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 25,000–49,999 that run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Dartmouth itself left out).
About $4,027 per resident a year, or $11.03 a day
Schools are part of the town’s budget, so they lead the receipt: 53% of day-to-day spending.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Dartmouth runs its own schools, so school spending is part of this budget. Comparisons are with Massachusetts towns and townships of 25,000–49,999 that run their own schools.
Day-to-day spending is up 16% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Dartmouth 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: $3,425 · 2023: $3,641 · 2024: $4,027.
full-time in March 2025, up from 763 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 $4,263 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.86% 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 Dartmouth’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 Dartmouth’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Dartmouth →
Who’s in charge in Dartmouth
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Dartmouth’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on town.dartmouth.ma.us ↗.
One full-time town employee for every 41 residents
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 (33,406).
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.
Dartmouth School District
Dartmouth’s K–12 school district. The schools are run by Dartmouth, so this money is part of the budget above.
Of the $20,589 per pupil, $12,434 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 Dartmouth voted in 2024
Official results for Dartmouth’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat49.3%9,054 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican49.0%8,994 votesOthers: 1.7% (312 votes).
Most votes in Dartmouth: Kamala D Harris
Bristol County: Harris 49.6%, Trump 48.3% · Massachusetts: Harris 61.2%, Trump 36.0%
of Dartmouth’s 28,058 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Massachusetts: 67%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Dartmouth: John Deaton
Bristol County: Deaton 50.3%, Warren 49.6% · Massachusetts: Warren 59.8%, Deaton 40.0%
Most votes in the district: Bill Keating
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Dartmouth, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dartmouth | 49.3% | 49.0% | 1.7% | 18,360 |
| Bristol County | 49.6% | 48.3% | 2.2% | 278,017 |
| 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 Dartmouth.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: town.dartmouth.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 Dartmouth compares with the towns next door
Dartmouth spent $3,425 per resident in 2022; the 3 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $1,960 to $4,345. 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 |
| Westport | $3,297 runs schools | $3,719 |
| New Bedford | $4,345 runs schools | $4,338 |
| Dartmouth | $3,425 | $4,263 |
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 Dartmouth’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Dartmouth’s government
How much does Dartmouth spend per resident?
About $4,027 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 $3,425 was less than 97% of 30 Massachusetts towns and townships of 25,000–49,999 that run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Dartmouth?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $4,263 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.86% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.07% across Massachusetts. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see town.dartmouth.ma.us.
Who runs Dartmouth’s government?
See town.dartmouth.ma.us for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Dartmouth yet.
How did Dartmouth vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 49.3%, Donald J Trump 49.0% (18,360 votes, official results). Bristol County: Harris 49.6%, Trump 48.3%. Massachusetts: Harris 61.2%, Trump 36.0%.
How many people work for Dartmouth?
806 full-time and 421 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $5.7M (about $68.1M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Dartmouth in the state legislature?
State Senate District Second Bristol and Plymouth (Mark Montigny) and State House District 9th Bristol (Christopher Markey). The House district also covers parts of 1 neighboring town. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Dartmouth’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 →