Photo: John Phelan · CC BY 3.0Palmer Town spent less per resident in 2022 than 77% of similar cities
Palmer Town’s town government spent $49.6 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2023, about $4,011 per resident.
What stands out about how Palmer Town is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$3,672 per resident in 2022: less than 77% of them
Palmer Town’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($3,672 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 31 Massachusetts cities of 10,000–24,999 that run their own schools: the median was $4,146, and the middle half spent $3,744–$4,490. Palmer Town spent less than 77% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($2.4 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; Palmer Town itself left out).
About $4,011 per resident a year, or $10.99 a day
Schools are part of the town’s budget, so they lead the receipt: 57% of day-to-day spending.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Palmer Town 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.
Day-to-day spending is up 11% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Palmer Town 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: $3,672 · 2023: $4,011.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $4,540 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.67% 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 Palmer Town’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 Palmer Town’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Palmer Town →
Who’s in charge in Palmer Town
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Palmer Town’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on townofpalmer.com ↗.
One full-time town employee for every 37 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2023 finance file (12,372).
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.
Palmer School District
Palmer Town’s K–12 school district. The schools are run by Palmer Town, so this money is part of the budget above.
Of the $24,494 per pupil, $14,763 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 Palmer Town voted in 2024
Official results for Palmer Town’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Donald J TrumpRepublican54.9%3,520 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat43.0%2,755 votesOthers: 2.1% (132 votes).
Most votes in Palmer Town: Donald J Trump
Hampden County: Harris 53.2%, Trump 44.3% · Massachusetts: Harris 61.2%, Trump 36.0%
of Palmer Town’s 10,467 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Massachusetts: 67%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Palmer Town: John Deaton
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: Palmer Town, its county and the state
| Trump | Harris | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palmer Town | 54.9% | 43.0% | 2.1% | 6,407 |
| Hampden County | 44.3% | 53.2% | 2.5% | 208,604 |
| Massachusetts | 36.0% | 61.2% | 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 Palmer Town.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: townofpalmer.com ↗
- 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 Palmer Town compares with the towns next door
Palmer Town spent $3,672 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Warren | $1,246 | $4,530 |
| Brimfield | $2,716 runs schools | $5,128 |
| Monson | $3,857 runs schools | $4,877 |
| Ware | $4,014 runs schools | $4,237 |
| Belchertown | $4,531 runs schools | $5,810 |
| Palmer Town | $3,672 | $4,540 |
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 Palmer Town’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Palmer Town’s government
How much does Palmer Town spend per resident?
About $4,011 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2023, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $3,672 was less than 77% of 31 Massachusetts cities of 10,000–24,999 that run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Palmer Town?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $4,540 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.67% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.07% across Massachusetts. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see townofpalmer.com.
Who runs Palmer Town’s government?
See townofpalmer.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Palmer Town yet.
How did Palmer Town vote in 2024?
For president, Donald J Trump 54.9%, Kamala D Harris 43.0% (6,407 votes, official results). Hampden County: Harris 53.2%, Trump 44.3%. Massachusetts: Harris 61.2%, Trump 36.0%.
How many people work for Palmer Town?
332 full-time and 26 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $1.8M (about $21.0M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Palmer Town in the state legislature?
State Senate District Hampden-Hampshire-Worcester (Jake Oliveira) and State House District 1st Hampden (Todd Smola). The House district also covers six other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Palmer Town’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 →