Photo: Beyond My Ken · CC BY-SA 4.0How is North Adams run?
North Adams’ city government spent $54.9 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $4,311 per resident.
What stands out about how North Adams is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
North Adams School District
North Adams’ K–12 school district. The schools are run by North Adams, so this money is part of the budget above.
Of the $26,763 per pupil, $15,804 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 $4,311 per resident a year, or $11.81 a day
Schools are part of the city’s budget, so they lead the receipt: 57% of day-to-day spending.
Thank you for being a neighbor
North Adams runs its own schools, so school spending is part of this budget. Comparisons are with Massachusetts cities of 10,000–24,999 that run their own schools.
$4,311 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
North Adams’ day-to-day spending in 2022 ($4,311 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 31 Massachusetts cities of 10,000–24,999 that run their own schools: the median was $4,111, and the middle half spent $3,706–$4,490. North Adams spent more than 64% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($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 10,000–24,999 that run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; North Adams itself left out).
No trend yet
North Adams reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $3,078 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.57% 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 North Adams’ 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 North Adams’ Cost of living grade. Cost of living in North Adams →
Who’s in charge in North Adams
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
North Adams’ meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on northadams-ma.gov ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 27 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (12,737).
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 North Adams voted in 2024
Official results for North Adams’ own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat66.4%3,758 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican31.3%1,774 votesOthers: 2.3% (131 votes).
Most votes in North Adams: Kamala D Harris
Berkshire County: Harris 68.6%, Trump 28.8% · Massachusetts: Harris 61.2%, Trump 36.0%
of North Adams’ 10,313 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Massachusetts: 67%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in North Adams: Elizabeth Ann Warren
Berkshire County: Warren 70.0%, Deaton 29.9% · Massachusetts: Warren 59.8%, Deaton 40.0%
Most votes in the district: Richard E Neal
Whole-district result
President, 2024: North Adams, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Adams | 66.4% | 31.3% | 2.3% | 5,663 |
| Berkshire County | 68.6% | 28.8% | 2.6% | 68,674 |
| 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 North Adams.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: northadams-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 North Adams compares with the towns next door
North Adams spent $4,311 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Adams | $1,141 | $3,638 |
| Williamstown | $1,444 | $5,290 |
| Clarksburg | $3,241 runs schools | $2,993 |
| North Adams | $4,311 | $3,078 |
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 North Adams’ government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about North Adams’ government
How much does North Adams spend per resident?
About $4,311 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $4,311 was more than 64% of 31 Massachusetts cities of 10,000–24,999 that run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in North Adams?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,078 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.57% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.07% across Massachusetts. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see northadams-ma.gov.
Who runs North Adams’ government?
See northadams-ma.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for North Adams yet.
How did North Adams vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 66.4%, Donald J Trump 31.3% (5,663 votes, official results). Berkshire County: Harris 68.6%, Trump 28.8%. Massachusetts: Harris 61.2%, Trump 36.0%.
How many people work for North Adams?
480 full-time and 20 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $2.2M (about $26.3M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents North Adams in the state legislature?
State Senate District Berkshire-Hampden-Franklin-Hampshire (Paul Mark) and State House District 1st Berkshire (John Barrett). The House district also covers 12 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about North Adams’ 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 →