Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to Edgartown

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
Edgartown Harbor by Don Ramey LoganPhoto: Don Ramey Logan · CC BY-SA 4.0
Town Hall · Edgartown

Edgartown spent more per resident in 2022 than 94% of similar towns

Edgartown’s town government spent $40.4 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $7,666 per resident. Water and other utilities ($1.8 million) are counted separately.

Town website
Election Day

Today

General election in Massachusetts.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2024
$40.4M
year to June 30, 2024
Per resident, 2024
$7,666
In 2022: $7,999, more than 94% of 50 similar towns
Long-term debt
$10.7M
end of FY2024, reported
Town staff, 2022
204
full-time · 118 part-time · March payroll $1.3M · Census estimate
Typical tax bill
$5,641
0.47% of home value · MA 1.07%

What stands out about how Edgartown is run

Read from the town’s budget and official records.

Compared with similar places

$7,999 per resident in 2022: more than 94% of them

Edgartown’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($7,999 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 50 Massachusetts towns and townships of 2,500–9,999 that run their own schools: the median was $4,160, and the middle half spent $3,380–$5,590. Edgartown spent more than 94% of them.

Middle half of the group, $3,380–$5,590Median $4,160Edgartown

Includes sewer and trash ($1.6 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 →

The group
50

Massachusetts towns and townships of 2,500–9,999 that run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Edgartown itself left out).

Your share of the 2024 budget

About $7,666 per resident a year, or $21.00 a day

Schools are part of the town’s budget, so they lead the receipt: 39% of day-to-day spending.

Where the money comes from
Property taxes 63%From the state 9%Fees & charges 8%Sales taxes 7%Utility sales 4%Interest, fines & other 3%From the federal government 3%Other taxes & licenses 2%From other local governments <1%
Schools included

Edgartown runs its own schools, so school spending is part of this budget. Comparisons are with Massachusetts towns and townships of 2,500–9,999 that run their own schools.

Not in the receipt.Building projects $5.1 million; interest on debt $338,000; payments to other governments $3.4 million. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $52.7 million.
About “Other”.27% of Edgartown’s day-to-day spending ($11.1 million) is filed by the Census Bureau outside the named functions above, so the receipt can’t say what it buys.
Over the years

Day-to-day spending is up 15% since 2022

Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Edgartown reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.

Day-to-day spending by fiscal year

2022$35.1 million
2023$36.2 million
2024$40.4 million

Per resident: 2022: $7,999 · 2023: $6,835 · 2024: $7,666. Per resident it went from $7,999 to $7,666 (down 4%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 4,383 to 5,266.

Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $5,641 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.47% of the home’s value, vs 1.07% across Massachusetts.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

West Tisbury$6,497
Massachusetts$5,992
Edgartown$5,641
Oak Bluffs$4,845
$5,641
typical bill a year
0.47%
effective rate
$1,199,300
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Edgartown’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 Edgartown’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Edgartown →

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Edgartown

Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.

See edgartown-ma.us/cms for Edgartown’s current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Edgartown yet.edgartown-ma.us/cms ↗
Agendas

Edgartown’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on edgartown-ma.us/cms ↗.

Who works for Edgartown

One full-time town employee for every 26 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 2024 finance file (5,266).

By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022

Schools101 + 22 pt
Administration & buildings15 + 34 pt
Fire25
Health & welfare9 + 29 pt
Police21
Roads & transportation16
Water & other utilities7 + 8 pt
Parks & libraries10
Other0 + 25 pt
204
full-time
118
part-time
$1.3M
payroll for March 2022
$15.3M
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$67,100
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
21
sworn police officers
24
full-time firefighters
Estimates.Edgartown didn’t report its staff figures; these are the Census Bureau’s estimates, so they aren’t compared with other towns.

The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.

The school district

Martha's Vineyard School District

Edgartown’s high school district, shared with Aquinnah, Chilmark, Oak Bluffs, Tisbury, West Tisbury. The schools are run by Edgartown, so this money is part of the budget above.

Schools in Edgartown →
$44,683
per pupil · MA $26,530
681
students
None
long-term debt

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.

The district: schools, scores and graduation →

Where the district’s money comes from
Local 63%State 27%Federal 10%

Massachusetts districts overall: 49% local, 43% state, 8% federal.

Also serving Edgartown

Edgartown School District · $37,425 per pupil

School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.

Elections · 2024 general election

How Edgartown voted in 2024

Official results for Edgartown’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.

President2,900 votes · results as certified
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat67.9%1,969 votes
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican29.6%857 votes

Others: 2.6% (74 votes).

Most votes in Edgartown: Kamala D Harris

Dukes County: Harris 74.8%, Trump 22.5% · Massachusetts: Harris 61.2%, Trump 36.0%

Turnout
64%

of Edgartown’s 4,536 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Massachusetts: 67%.

Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).

U.S. Senate2,857 votes
Elizabeth Ann WarrenDemocrat64.4%
John DeatonRepublican35.5%
Others0.1%

Most votes in Edgartown: Elizabeth Ann Warren

Dukes County: Warren 72.9%, Deaton 27.0% · Massachusetts: Warren 59.8%, Deaton 40.0%

U.S. House · Massachusetts’s 9th District446,395 votes
Bill KeatingDemocrat56.4%
Dan SullivanRepublican43.4%
Others0.1%

Most votes in the district: Bill Keating

Whole-district result

President, 2024: Edgartown, its county and the state

HarrisTrumpOthersVotes
Edgartown67.9%29.6%2.6%2,900
Dukes County74.8%22.5%2.7%12,209
Massachusetts61.2%36.0%2.8%3,473,668
DemocratRepublicanLibertarianIndependent / other

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.

Who represents Edgartown

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Edgartown.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your townTown government
  2. 2
    Massachusetts HouseState representatives
  3. 3
    Massachusetts SenateState senator
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Massachusetts

Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.

Next door

How Edgartown compares with the towns next door

Edgartown spent $7,999 per resident in 2022; the 2 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $2,987 to $9,939. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.

Spends the leastSpends the mostEstimate or no figures
TownDay-to-day, per resident (2022)Tax bill
West Tisbury$2,987$6,497
Oak Bluffs$9,939 runs schools$4,845
Edgartown$7,999$5,641

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 Edgartown’s government

The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Edgartown’s government

How much does Edgartown spend per resident?

About $7,666 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 $7,999 was more than 94% of 50 Massachusetts towns and townships of 2,500–9,999 that run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Edgartown?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $5,641 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.47% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.07% across Massachusetts. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see edgartown-ma.us/cms.

Who runs Edgartown’s government?

See edgartown-ma.us/cms for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Edgartown yet.

How did Edgartown vote in 2024?

For president, Kamala D Harris 67.9%, Donald J Trump 29.6% (2,900 votes, official results). Dukes County: Harris 74.8%, Trump 22.5%. Massachusetts: Harris 61.2%, Trump 36.0%.

How many people work for Edgartown?

204 full-time and 118 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $1.3M (about $15.3M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.

Who represents Edgartown 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 Edgartown’s government

Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.

Town Square →
Ask neighbors

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 →