Methuen Memorial Music Hall · Photo: EraserGirl · Public domainMethuen spent less per resident in 2022 than 83% of similar cities
Methuen’s city government spent $229.7 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $4,315 per resident.
What stands out about how Methuen is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$3,588 per resident in 2022: less than 83% of them
Methuen’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($3,588 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 18 Massachusetts cities of 50,000–99,999 that run their own schools: the median was $4,282, and the middle half spent $3,970–$4,965. Methuen spent less than 83% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($4.7 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 cities of 50,000–99,999 that run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Methuen itself left out).
About $4,315 per resident a year, or $11.82 a day
Schools are part of the city’s budget, so they lead the receipt: 62% of day-to-day spending.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Methuen 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.
Day-to-day spending is up 26% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Methuen 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: $3,588 · 2023: $3,644 · 2024: $4,315. Per resident it went from $3,588 to $4,315 (up 20%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 50,910 to 53,241.
full-time in March 2025, up from 1,217 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 $5,061 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.01% 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 Methuen’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 Methuen’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Methuen →
Who’s in charge in Methuen
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Methuen’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on ci.methuen.ma.us ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 41 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 (53,241).
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.
Methuen School District
Methuen’s K–12 school district. The schools are run by Methuen, so this money is part of the budget above.
Of the $19,711 per pupil, $11,915 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 Methuen voted in 2024
Official results for Methuen’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat49.7%12,220 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican48.1%11,830 votesOthers: 2.3% (554 votes).
Most votes in Methuen: Kamala D Harris
Massachusetts: Harris 61.2%, Trump 36.0%
of Methuen’s 38,275 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Massachusetts: 67%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Methuen: Elizabeth Ann Warren
Massachusetts: Warren 59.8%, Deaton 40.0%
President, 2024: Methuen, the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Methuen | 49.7% | 48.1% | 2.3% | 24,604 |
| Massachusetts | 61.2% | 36.0% | 2.8% | 3,473,668 |
Methuen is not one county, so there is no single county to set beside it; its result is theirs combined.
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.
How Methuen compares with the towns next door
Methuen spent $3,588 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Dracut | $3,328 runs schools | $5,375 |
| Haverhill | $3,896 runs schools | $4,772 |
| North Andover | $4,452 runs schools | $7,767 |
| Lawrence | $5,009 runs schools | $3,422 |
| Andover | $10,209 runs schools | $10,000+ |
| Methuen | $3,588 | $5,061 |
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 Methuen’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Methuen’s government
How much does Methuen spend per resident?
About $4,315 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 $3,588 was less than 83% of 18 Massachusetts cities of 50,000–99,999 that run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Methuen?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $5,061 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.01% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.07% across Massachusetts. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see ci.methuen.ma.us.
Who runs Methuen’s government?
See ci.methuen.ma.us for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Methuen yet.
How did Methuen vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 49.7%, Donald J Trump 48.1% (24,604 votes, official results). Massachusetts: Harris 61.2%, Trump 36.0%.
How many people work for Methuen?
1,290 full-time and 416 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $12.6M (about $150.7M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Ask neighbors about Methuen’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 →