Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0Pittsfield spent more per resident in 2022 than 86% of similar cities
Pittsfield’s city government spent $258.1 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $5,959 per resident. Water and other utilities ($6 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Pittsfield is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$4,826 per resident in 2022: more than 86% of them
Pittsfield’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($4,826 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 22 Massachusetts cities of 25,000–49,999 that run their own schools: the median was $4,168, and the middle half spent $3,816–$4,522. Pittsfield spent more than 86% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($10.1 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 25,000–49,999 that run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Pittsfield itself left out).
About $5,959 per resident a year, or $16.33 a day
Schools are part of the city’s budget, so they lead the receipt: 50% of day-to-day spending.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Pittsfield runs its own schools, so school spending is part of this budget. Comparisons are with Massachusetts cities of 25,000–49,999 that run their own schools.
Day-to-day spending is up 28% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Pittsfield 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: $4,826 · 2023: $5,564 · 2024: $5,959.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $4,148 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.61% 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 Pittsfield’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 Pittsfield’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Pittsfield →
Who’s in charge in Pittsfield
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Pittsfield’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on pittsfield-ma.org ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 35 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (43,310).
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.
Pittsfield School District
Pittsfield’s K–12 school district. The schools are run by Pittsfield, so this money is part of the budget above.
Of the $24,841 per pupil, $15,685 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 Pittsfield voted in 2024
Official results for Pittsfield’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat70.4%14,628 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican27.2%5,658 votesOthers: 2.3% (485 votes).
Most votes in Pittsfield: Kamala D Harris
Berkshire County: Harris 68.6%, Trump 28.8% · Massachusetts: Harris 61.2%, Trump 36.0%
of Pittsfield’s 34,171 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Massachusetts: 67%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Pittsfield: 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: Pittsfield, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pittsfield | 70.4% | 27.2% | 2.3% | 20,771 |
| 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 Pittsfield.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: pittsfield-ma.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 Pittsfield compares with the towns next door
Pittsfield spent $4,826 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Dalton | $1,144 | $4,276 |
| Lanesborough | $1,412 | $5,007 |
| Washington | $2,738 | $4,381 |
| Hancock | $3,112 runs schools | $1,018 |
| Pittsfield | $4,826 | $4,148 |
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 Pittsfield’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Pittsfield’s government
How much does Pittsfield spend per resident?
About $5,959 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 $4,826 was more than 86% of 22 Massachusetts cities of 25,000–49,999 that run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Pittsfield?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $4,148 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.61% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.07% across Massachusetts. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see pittsfield-ma.org.
Who runs Pittsfield’s government?
See pittsfield-ma.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Pittsfield yet.
How did Pittsfield vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 70.4%, Donald J Trump 27.2% (20,771 votes, official results). Berkshire County: Harris 68.6%, Trump 28.8%. Massachusetts: Harris 61.2%, Trump 36.0%.
How many people work for Pittsfield?
1,234 full-time and 134 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $7.2M (about $86.1M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Pittsfield in the state legislature?
State Senate District Berkshire-Hampden-Franklin-Hampshire (Paul Mark) and State House District 2nd Berkshire (Tricia Farley-Bouvier). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Pittsfield’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 →