Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0Lawrence spent more per resident in 2022 than 78% of similar cities
Lawrence’s city government spent $478.2 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $5,437 per resident. Water and other utilities ($12.7 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Lawrence is run
Read from the city’s budget, meetings and official records.
1 upcoming meeting at town hall
From Lawrence’s own agenda portal, checked daily. Agendas can change up to the meeting, so check before you go.
- Nov17City CouncilTuesday · 7:00 pm · Lawrence City Hall, 200 Common Street, Room 105Lawrence City Council MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
Recent meetings
- Oct20City CouncilTuesday · 7:00 pm · Lawrence City Hall, 200 Common Street, Room 105Lawrence City Council MeetingMeeting page ↗
- Sep15City CouncilTuesday · 7:00 pm · Lawrence City Hall, 200 Common Street, Room 105Lawrence City Council MeetingMeeting page ↗
- Aug18City CouncilTuesday · 7:00 pm · Lawrence City Hall, 200 Common Street, Room 105Lawrence City Council MeetingMeeting page ↗
- Jul21City CouncilTuesday · 7:00 pm · Lawrence City Hall, 200 Common Street, Room 105Lawrence City Council MeetingMeeting page ↗
- Jun16City CouncilTuesday · 7:00 pm · Lawrence City Hall, 200 Common Street, Room 105Lawrence City Council MeetingMeeting page ↗
Most meetings are open to the public, and many have a public comment period at the start.
Agenda portal ↗About $5,437 per resident a year, or $14.90 a day
Schools are part of the city’s budget, so they lead the receipt: 74% of day-to-day spending.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Lawrence runs its own schools, so school spending is part of this budget. Comparisons are with Massachusetts cities of 50,000–99,999 that run their own schools.
$5,009 per resident in 2022: more than 78% of them
Lawrence’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($5,009 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 18 Massachusetts cities of 50,000–99,999 that run their own schools: the median was $4,216, and the middle half spent $3,909–$4,752. Lawrence spent more than 78% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($6.5 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 50,000–99,999 that run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Lawrence itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is up 19% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Lawrence 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: $5,009 · 2023: $5,081 · 2024: $5,437. Per resident it went from $5,009 to $5,437 (up 9%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 80,007 to 87,954.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $3,422 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.82% 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 Lawrence’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 Lawrence’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Lawrence →
Who’s in charge in Lawrence
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time city employee for every 156 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 (87,954).
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.
Lawrence School District
Lawrence’s K–12 school district. The schools are run by Lawrence, so this money is part of the budget above.
Of the $25,802 per pupil, $13,914 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 Lawrence voted in 2024
Official results for Lawrence’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat57.2%12,073 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican40.2%8,477 votesOthers: 2.7% (560 votes).
Most votes in Lawrence: Kamala D Harris
Essex County: Harris 58.9%, Trump 38.7% · Massachusetts: Harris 61.2%, Trump 36.0%
of Lawrence’s 47,059 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Massachusetts: 67%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Lawrence: Elizabeth Ann Warren
Essex County: Warren 57.8%, Deaton 42.0% · Massachusetts: Warren 59.8%, Deaton 40.0%
Most votes in the district: Lori Loureiro Trahan
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Lawrence, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lawrence | 57.2% | 40.2% | 2.7% | 21,110 |
| Essex County | 58.9% | 38.7% | 2.5% | 401,851 |
| 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 Lawrence.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: cityoflawrence.com ↗
- 2Massachusetts HouseLawrence is split between 3 districts
- 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 Lawrence compares with the towns next door
Lawrence spent $5,009 per resident in 2022. Most of its neighbors are townships, a different kind of government, so the like-for-like comparison is with similar cities, above. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Methuen | $3,588 runs schools | $5,061 |
| North Andover | $4,452 runs schools | $7,767 |
| Andover | $10,209 runs schools | $10,000+ |
| Lawrence | $5,009 | $3,422 |
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 Lawrence’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Lawrence’s government
How much does Lawrence spend per resident?
About $5,437 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 $5,009 was more than 78% of 18 Massachusetts cities of 50,000–99,999 that run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Lawrence?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,422 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.82% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.07% across Massachusetts. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cityoflawrence.com.
Who runs Lawrence’s government?
See cityoflawrence.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Lawrence yet.
How did Lawrence vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 57.2%, Donald J Trump 40.2% (21,110 votes, official results). Essex County: Harris 58.9%, Trump 38.7%. Massachusetts: Harris 61.2%, Trump 36.0%.
How many people work for Lawrence?
565 full-time and 12 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $3.7M (about $44.9M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Lawrence in the state legislature?
Lawrence is split among 3 State House districts, so your address decides. The Massachusetts Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Its State Senate district is District First Essex (Pavel Payano). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
When is the next public meeting in Lawrence?
The next posted meeting is City Council on Tuesday, November 17, at 7:00 pm in Lawrence City Hall, 200 Common Street, Room 105, from the city’s own agenda portal.
Ask neighbors about Lawrence’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 →