Fort Phoenix · Photo: Marcbela (Marc N. Belanger) · CC0Fairhaven spent less per resident in 2022 than 87% of similar towns
Fairhaven’s town government spent $54.6 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $3,393 per resident. Water and other utilities ($2.4 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Fairhaven is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$3,393 per resident in 2022: less than 87% of them
Fairhaven’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($3,393 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 75 Massachusetts towns and townships of 10,000–24,999 that run their own schools: the median was $4,576, and the middle half spent $3,786–$5,278. Fairhaven spent less than 87% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($3.7 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 10,000–24,999 that run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Fairhaven itself left out).
About $3,393 per resident a year, or $9.30 a day
Schools are part of the town’s budget, so they lead the receipt: 60% of day-to-day spending.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Fairhaven runs its own schools, so school spending is part of this budget. Comparisons are with Massachusetts towns and townships of 10,000–24,999 that run their own schools.
No trend yet
Fairhaven reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $3,566 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.80% 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 Fairhaven’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 Fairhaven’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Fairhaven →
Who’s in charge in Fairhaven
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Fairhaven’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on fairhaven-ma.gov ↗.
One full-time town employee for every 42 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 (16,103).
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.
Fairhaven School District
Fairhaven’s K–12 school district. The schools are run by Fairhaven, so this money is part of the budget above.
Of the $19,103 per pupil, $10,856 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 Fairhaven voted in 2024
Official results for Fairhaven’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat50.1%4,781 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican48.3%4,608 votesOthers: 1.5% (147 votes).
Most votes in Fairhaven: Kamala D Harris
Bristol County: Harris 49.6%, Trump 48.3% · Massachusetts: Harris 61.2%, Trump 36.0%
of Fairhaven’s 13,067 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Massachusetts: 67%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Fairhaven: 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: Fairhaven, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fairhaven | 50.1% | 48.3% | 1.5% | 9,536 |
| 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 Fairhaven.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: fairhaven-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 Fairhaven compares with the towns next door
Fairhaven spent $3,393 per resident in 2022; the 3 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $2,884 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Acushnet | $2,884 runs schools | $4,647 |
| Mattapoisett | $4,108 runs schools | $6,588 |
| New Bedford | $4,345 runs schools | $4,338 |
| Fairhaven | $3,393 | $3,566 |
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 Fairhaven’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Fairhaven’s government
How much does Fairhaven spend per resident?
About $3,393 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 $3,393 was less than 87% of 75 Massachusetts towns and townships of 10,000–24,999 that run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Fairhaven?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,566 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.80% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.07% across Massachusetts. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see fairhaven-ma.gov.
Who runs Fairhaven’s government?
See fairhaven-ma.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Fairhaven yet.
How did Fairhaven vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 50.1%, Donald J Trump 48.3% (9,536 votes, official results). Bristol County: Harris 49.6%, Trump 48.3%. Massachusetts: Harris 61.2%, Trump 36.0%.
How many people work for Fairhaven?
387 full-time and 115 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $2.6M (about $31.6M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Fairhaven in the state legislature?
State Senate District Second Bristol and Plymouth (Mark Montigny) and State House District 10th Bristol (Mark Sylvia). The House district also covers five other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Fairhaven’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 →