Photo: John Phelan · CC BY 3.0Pepperell spent less per resident in 2022 than 80% of similar towns
Pepperell’s town government spent $13.7 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $1,139 per resident. Water and other utilities ($1.4 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Pepperell is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$1,139 per resident in 2022: less than 80% of them
Pepperell’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,139 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 15 Massachusetts towns and townships of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,380, and the middle half spent $1,251–$1,712. Pepperell spent less than 80% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($1.9 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 towns and townships of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Pepperell itself left out).
About $1,139 per resident a year, or $3.12 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 15%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Pepperell reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $6,698 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.39% 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 Pepperell’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 Pepperell’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Pepperell →
Who’s in charge in Pepperell
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Pepperell’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on town.pepperell.ma.us ↗.
One full-time town employee for every 194 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 2022 finance file (12,043).
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.
North Middlesex School District
Pepperell’s K–12 school district, shared with Ashby, Townsend. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $21,001 per pupil, $12,460 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 Pepperell voted in 2024
Official results for Pepperell’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat51.0%3,729 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican45.9%3,357 votesOthers: 3.0% (220 votes).
Most votes in Pepperell: Kamala D Harris
Middlesex County: Harris 68.0%, Trump 28.9% · Massachusetts: Harris 61.2%, Trump 36.0%
of Pepperell’s 8,826 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Massachusetts: 67%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Pepperell: John Deaton
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: Pepperell, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pepperell | 51.0% | 45.9% | 3.0% | 7,306 |
| 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 Pepperell.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: town.pepperell.ma.us ↗
- 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 Pepperell compares with the towns next door
Pepperell spent $1,139 per resident in 2022; the 3 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $1,203 to $1,600. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
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 Pepperell’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Pepperell’s government
How much does Pepperell spend per resident?
About $1,139 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 $1,139 was less than 80% of 15 Massachusetts towns and townships of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Pepperell?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $6,698 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.39% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.07% across Massachusetts. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see town.pepperell.ma.us.
Who runs Pepperell’s government?
See town.pepperell.ma.us for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Pepperell yet.
How did Pepperell vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 51.0%, Donald J Trump 45.9% (7,306 votes, official results). Middlesex County: Harris 68.0%, Trump 28.9%. Massachusetts: Harris 61.2%, Trump 36.0%.
How many people work for Pepperell?
62 full-time and 80 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $639,073 (about $7.7M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Pepperell in the state legislature?
State Senate District First Middlesex (Vanna Howard) and State House District 1st Middlesex (Margaret Scarsdale). The House district also covers five other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Pepperell’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 →