Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0Holyoke spent more per resident in 2022 than 100% of similar cities
Holyoke’s city government spent $164.3 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $4,355 per resident. Water and other utilities ($65.3 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Holyoke is run
Read from the city’s budget, meetings and official records.
6 upcoming meetings at town hall
From Holyoke’s own agenda portal, checked daily. Agendas can change up to the meeting, so check before you go.
- Nov4Charter & Rules CommitteeWednesday · 6:30 pmOne Time EventMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov5City CouncilThursday · 6:30 pmOne Time EventAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov9Public Safety CommitteeMonday · 6:30 pmOne Time EventMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov10Finance CommitteeTuesday · 6:30 pmOne Time EventMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov12Development & Governmental Relation CommitteeThursday · 6:30 pmOne Time EventMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov16Ordinance CommitteeMonday · 6:30 pmOne Time EventMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
Recent meetings
- Oct20City CouncilTuesday · 6:30 pmOne Time EventAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Oct19Public Safety CommitteeMonday · 6:30 pmOne Time EventMeeting page ↗
- Oct14Ordinance CommitteeWednesday · 6:30 pmOne Time EventMeeting page ↗
- Oct13Finance CommitteeTuesday · 6:30 pmOne Time EventMeeting page ↗
- Oct7Public Service CommitteeWednesday · 6:30 pmOne Time EventMeeting page ↗
Most meetings are open to the public, and many have a public comment period at the start.
Agenda portal ↗About $4,355 per resident a year, or $11.93 a day
Schools are part of the city’s budget, so they lead the receipt: 90% of day-to-day spending.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Holyoke runs its own schools, so school spending is part of this budget. Comparisons are with Massachusetts cities of 25,000–49,999 that run their own schools.
$5,852 per resident in 2022: more than 100% of them
Holyoke’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($5,852 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 22 Massachusetts cities of 25,000–49,999 that run their own schools: the median was $4,168, and the middle half spent $3,816–$4,522. Holyoke spent more than 100% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($7.3 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 cities of 25,000–49,999 that run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Holyoke itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is down 30% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Holyoke 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: $5,852 · 2023: $6,074 · 2024: $4,355.
full-time in March 2025, up from 1,385 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 $4,065 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.48% 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 Holyoke’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 Holyoke’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Holyoke →
Who’s in charge in Holyoke
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time city employee for every 24 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 (37,720).
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.
Holyoke School District
Holyoke’s K–12 school district. The schools are run by Holyoke, so this money is part of the budget above.
Of the $25,611 per pupil, $13,668 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 Holyoke voted in 2024
Official results for Holyoke’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat63.5%9,409 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican33.4%4,943 votesOthers: 3.1% (458 votes).
Most votes in Holyoke: Kamala D Harris
Hampden County: Harris 53.2%, Trump 44.3% · Massachusetts: Harris 61.2%, Trump 36.0%
of Holyoke’s 28,709 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Massachusetts: 67%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Holyoke: Elizabeth Ann Warren
Hampden County: Warren 54.0%, Deaton 45.8% · Massachusetts: Warren 59.8%, Deaton 40.0%
Most votes in the district: Richard E Neal
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Holyoke, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Holyoke | 63.5% | 33.4% | 3.1% | 14,810 |
| Hampden County | 53.2% | 44.3% | 2.5% | 208,604 |
| 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 Holyoke.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: holyoke.org ↗
- 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 Holyoke compares with the towns next door
Holyoke spent $5,852 per resident in 2022; the 5 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $2,462 to $4,212. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Southampton | $2,462 runs schools | $5,470 |
| South Hadley | $3,580 runs schools | $5,500 |
| Westfield | $3,748 runs schools | $4,746 |
| West Springfield Town | $4,111 runs schools | $4,380 |
| Chicopee | $4,212 runs schools | $3,847 |
| Easthampton | estimate | $4,932 |
| Holyoke | $5,852 | $4,065 |
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 Holyoke’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Holyoke’s government
How much does Holyoke spend per resident?
About $4,355 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 $5,852 was more than 100% of 22 Massachusetts cities of 25,000–49,999 that run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Holyoke?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $4,065 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.48% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.07% across Massachusetts. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see holyoke.org.
Who runs Holyoke’s government?
See holyoke.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Holyoke yet.
How did Holyoke vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 63.5%, Donald J Trump 33.4% (14,810 votes, official results). Hampden County: Harris 53.2%, Trump 44.3%. Massachusetts: Harris 61.2%, Trump 36.0%.
How many people work for Holyoke?
1,602 full-time and 177 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $9.7M (about $116.7M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Holyoke in the state legislature?
State Senate District Hampden and Hampshire (John Velis) and State House District 5th Hampden (Pat Duffy). The House district also covers parts of 1 neighboring town. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
When is the next public meeting in Holyoke?
The next posted meeting is Charter & Rules Committee on Wednesday, November 4, at 6:30 pm, from the city’s own agenda portal.
Ask neighbors about Holyoke’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 →