Photo: John Phelan · CC BY-SA 4.0In Pelham, 83% of adult citizens voted for president in 2024, more than across Massachusetts
Pelham’s town government spent $4.5 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $3,476 per resident.
What stands out about how Pelham is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
Amherst-Pelham School District
Pelham’s middle and high school district, shared with Amherst Town, Leverett, Shutesbury. The schools are run by Pelham, so this money is part of the budget above.
Of the $31,061 per pupil, $17,221 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.
Pelham School District · $25,008 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
About $3,476 per resident a year, or $9.52 a day
Schools are part of the town’s budget, so they lead the receipt: 58% of day-to-day spending.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Pelham runs its own schools, so school spending is part of this budget. Comparisons are with Massachusetts towns and townships of under 2,500 that run their own schools.
$3,476 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar towns
Pelham’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($3,476 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 31 Massachusetts towns and townships of under 2,500 that run their own schools: the median was $3,447, and the middle half spent $2,791–$4,298. Pelham spent more than 52% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($1,000), 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 towns and townships of under 2,500 that run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Pelham itself left out).
No trend yet
Pelham reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $7,472 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 Pelham’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. In a town this small the estimate has a wide margin.
Tax bills are one input to Pelham’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Pelham →
Who’s in charge in Pelham
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Pelham’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on townofpelham.org ↗.
One full-time town employee for every 50 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 (1,305).
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 Pelham voted in 2024
Official results for Pelham’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat87.4%743 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican10.4%88 votesOthers: 2.2% (19 votes).
Most votes in Pelham: Kamala D Harris
Hampshire County: Harris 69.2%, Trump 27.5% · Massachusetts: Harris 61.2%, Trump 36.0%
of Pelham’s 1,030 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Massachusetts: 67%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Pelham: Elizabeth Ann Warren
Hampshire County: Warren 69.3%, Deaton 30.6% · Massachusetts: Warren 59.8%, Deaton 40.0%
Most votes in the district: James P Mc Govern
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Pelham, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pelham | 87.4% | 10.4% | 2.2% | 850 |
| Hampshire County | 69.2% | 27.5% | 3.4% | 84,720 |
| 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 Pelham.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: townofpelham.org ↗
- 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 Pelham compares with the towns next door
Pelham spent $3,476 per resident in 2022; the 4 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $1,522 to $4,531. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| New Salem | $1,522 runs schools | $4,509 |
| Amherst Town | $1,929 runs schools | $8,787 |
| Shutesbury | $3,493 runs schools | $6,642 |
| Belchertown | $4,531 runs schools | $5,810 |
| Pelham | $3,476 | $7,472 |
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 Pelham’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Pelham’s government
How much does Pelham spend per resident?
About $3,476 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 $3,476 was more than 52% of 31 Massachusetts towns and townships of under 2,500 that run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Pelham?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $7,472 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 townofpelham.org.
Who runs Pelham’s government?
See townofpelham.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Pelham yet.
How did Pelham vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 87.4%, Donald J Trump 10.4% (850 votes, official results). Hampshire County: Harris 69.2%, Trump 27.5%. Massachusetts: Harris 61.2%, Trump 36.0%.
How many people work for Pelham?
26 full-time and 77 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $214,857 (about $2.6M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Pelham in the state legislature?
State Senate District Hampshire-Franklin-Worcester (Jo Comerford) and State House District 7th Hampden (Aaron Saunders). The House district also covers six other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Pelham’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 →