Photo: John Phelan · CC BY 3.0How is Marlborough run?
Marlborough’s city government spent $211.7 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $5,168 per resident. Water and other utilities ($12.2 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Marlborough is run
Read from the city’s budget, meetings and official records.
3 upcoming meetings at town hall
From Marlborough’s own agenda portal, checked daily. Agendas can change up to the meeting, so check before you go.
- Nov16City CouncilMonday · 8:00 pm · 140 Main Street, Council Chambers, 2nd FloorCity Council MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Dec7City CouncilMonday · 8:00 pm · 140 Main Street, Council Chambers, 2nd FloorCity Council MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Dec21City CouncilMonday · 8:00 pm · 140 Main Street, Council Chambers, 2nd FloorCity Council MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
Recent meetings
- Nov2City CouncilMonday · 8:00 pm · 140 Main Street, Council Chambers, 2nd FloorCity Council MeetingMeeting page ↗
- Oct28GeneralWednesday · 6:30 pm · 140 Main Street, Lower Level, Memorial Hall, 3rd FloorLicensing Board Regular MeetingMeeting page ↗
- Oct19City CouncilMonday · 8:00 pm · 140 Main Street, Council Chambers, 2nd FloorCity Council MeetingMeeting page ↗
- Oct15City CouncilThursday · 7:00 pm · 140 Main Street, Council Chambers, 2nd FloorCity Council Urban Affairs Committee MeetingMeeting page ↗
- Oct5City CouncilMonday · 8:00 pm · 140 Main Street, Council Chambers, 2nd FloorCity Council MeetingMeeting page ↗
Most meetings are open to the public, and many have a public comment period at the start.
Agenda portal ↗About $5,168 per resident a year, or $14.16 a day
Schools are part of the city’s budget, so they lead the receipt: 56% of day-to-day spending.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Marlborough 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.
$4,170 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
Marlborough’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($4,170 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 22 Massachusetts cities of 25,000–49,999 that run their own schools: the median was $4,237, and the middle half spent $3,816–$4,686. Marlborough spent more than 50% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($5.2 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; Marlborough itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is up 29% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Marlborough 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: $4,170 · 2023: $3,991 · 2024: $5,168. Per resident it went from $4,170 to $5,168 (up 24%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 39,290 to 40,971.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $5,747 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.12% 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 Marlborough’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 Marlborough’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Marlborough →
Who’s in charge in Marlborough
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time city employee for every 34 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 (40,971).
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.
Marlborough School District
Marlborough’s K–12 school district. The schools are run by Marlborough, so this money is part of the budget above.
Of the $22,236 per pupil, $12,842 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 Marlborough voted in 2024
Official results for Marlborough’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat60.8%10,996 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican36.8%6,651 votesOthers: 2.4% (443 votes).
Most votes in Marlborough: Kamala D Harris
Middlesex County: Harris 68.0%, Trump 28.9% · Massachusetts: Harris 61.2%, Trump 36.0%
of Marlborough’s 26,304 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Massachusetts: 67%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Marlborough: Elizabeth Ann Warren
Middlesex County: Warren 66.5%, Deaton 33.3% · Massachusetts: Warren 59.8%, Deaton 40.0%
Most votes in the district: Lori Loureiro Trahan
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Marlborough, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marlborough | 60.8% | 36.8% | 2.4% | 18,090 |
| Middlesex County | 68.0% | 28.9% | 3.1% | 814,832 |
| 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 Marlborough.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: marlborough-ma.gov ↗
- 2Massachusetts HouseMarlborough is split between 2 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 Marlborough compares with the towns next door
Marlborough spent $4,170 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Berlin | $1,575 | $7,116 |
| Hudson | $3,046 runs schools | $6,892 |
| Northborough | $4,213 runs schools | $7,983 |
| Sudbury | $4,824 runs schools | $10,000+ |
| Framingham | $5,023 runs schools | $6,884 |
| Southborough | $5,276 runs schools | $10,000+ |
| Marlborough | $4,170 | $5,747 |
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 Marlborough’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Marlborough’s government
How much does Marlborough spend per resident?
About $5,168 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 $4,170 was more than 50% of 22 Massachusetts cities of 25,000–49,999 that run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Marlborough?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $5,747 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.12% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.07% across Massachusetts. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see marlborough-ma.gov.
Who runs Marlborough’s government?
See marlborough-ma.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Marlborough yet.
How did Marlborough vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 60.8%, Donald J Trump 36.8% (18,090 votes, official results). Middlesex County: Harris 68.0%, Trump 28.9%. Massachusetts: Harris 61.2%, Trump 36.0%.
How many people work for Marlborough?
1,206 full-time and 230 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $8.3M (about $99.0M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Marlborough in the state legislature?
Marlborough is split among 2 State House districts, so your address decides. The Massachusetts Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Its State Senate district is District Middlesex and Worcester (Jamie Eldridge). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
When is the next public meeting in Marlborough?
The next posted meeting is City Council on Monday, November 16, at 8:00 pm in 140 Main Street, Council Chambers, 2nd Floor, from the city’s own agenda portal.
Ask neighbors about Marlborough’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 →