Photo: w:Flickr user Paul Keleher · CC BY 2.0In Grafton, 76% of adult citizens voted for president in 2024, more than across Massachusetts
Grafton’s town government spent $89.1 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $4,498 per resident.
What stands out about how Grafton is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
Grafton School District
Grafton’s K–12 school district. The schools are run by Grafton, so this money is part of the budget above.
Of the $17,981 per pupil, $11,110 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.
About $4,498 per resident a year, or $12.32 a day
Schools are part of the town’s budget, so they lead the receipt: 64% of day-to-day spending.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Grafton 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.
$4,135 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar towns
Grafton’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($4,135 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 $3,716–$5,278. Grafton spent less than 64% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($2.3 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; Grafton itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is up 13% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Grafton 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: $4,135 · 2023: $4,171 · 2024: $4,498.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $7,117 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.35% 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 Grafton’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 Grafton’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Grafton →
Who’s in charge in Grafton
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Grafton’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on grafton-ma.gov ↗.
One full-time town employee for every 33 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (19,815).
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.
How Grafton voted in 2024
Official results for Grafton’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat59.4%6,651 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican37.7%4,216 votesOthers: 2.9% (321 votes).
Most votes in Grafton: Kamala D Harris
Worcester County: Harris 53.6%, Trump 43.7% · Massachusetts: Harris 61.2%, Trump 36.0%
of Grafton’s 14,649 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Massachusetts: 67%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Grafton: Elizabeth Ann Warren
Worcester County: Warren 51.9%, Deaton 48.0% · Massachusetts: Warren 59.8%, Deaton 40.0%
Most votes in the district: James P Mc Govern
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Grafton, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grafton | 59.4% | 37.7% | 2.9% | 11,188 |
| Worcester County | 53.6% | 43.7% | 2.7% | 420,841 |
| 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 Grafton.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: grafton-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 Grafton compares with the towns next door
Grafton spent $4,135 per resident in 2022; the 7 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $1,329 to $7,118. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Upton | $1,329 | $8,376 |
| Northbridge | $3,423 runs schools | $4,821 |
| Millbury | $4,035 runs schools | $5,406 |
| Shrewsbury | $4,144 runs schools | $6,923 |
| Sutton | $4,157 runs schools | $6,763 |
| Worcester | $4,363 runs schools | $4,733 |
| Westborough | $7,118 runs schools | $9,983 |
| Grafton | $4,135 | $7,117 |
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 Grafton’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Grafton’s government
How much does Grafton spend per resident?
About $4,498 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 $4,135 was less than 64% of 75 Massachusetts towns and townships of 10,000–24,999 that run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Grafton?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $7,117 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.35% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.07% across Massachusetts. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see grafton-ma.gov.
Who runs Grafton’s government?
See grafton-ma.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Grafton yet.
How did Grafton vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 59.4%, Donald J Trump 37.7% (11,188 votes, official results). Worcester County: Harris 53.6%, Trump 43.7%. Massachusetts: Harris 61.2%, Trump 36.0%.
How many people work for Grafton?
608 full-time and 331 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $3.5M (about $42.5M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Grafton in the state legislature?
State Senate District Second Worcester (Mike Moore) and State House District 9th Worcester (Dave Muradian). The House district also covers two neighboring towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Grafton’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 →