Photo: T.S. Custadio aka ToddC4176 at en.wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0Rochester spent less per resident in 2022 than 80% of similar towns
Rochester’s town government spent $19 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2023, about $3,304 per resident.
What stands out about how Rochester is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$3,247 per resident in 2022: less than 80% of them
Rochester’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($3,247 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 50 Massachusetts towns and townships of 2,500–9,999 that run their own schools: the median was $4,188, and the middle half spent $3,428–$5,633. Rochester spent less than 80% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($337,000), 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 2,500–9,999 that run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Rochester itself left out).
About $3,304 per resident a year, or $9.05 a day
Schools are part of the town’s budget, so they lead the receipt: 48% of day-to-day spending.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Rochester runs its own schools, so school spending is part of this budget. Comparisons are with Massachusetts towns and townships of 2,500–9,999 that run their own schools.
Day-to-day spending is up 2% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Rochester 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: $3,247 · 2023: $3,304.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $6,530 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.09% 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 Rochester’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 Rochester’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Rochester →
Who’s in charge in Rochester
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Rochester’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on townofrochestermass.com ↗.
One full-time town employee for every 45 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 (5,762).
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.
Old Rochester School District
Rochester’s middle and high school district, shared with Marion, Mattapoisett. The schools are run by Rochester, so this money is part of the budget above.
Of the $23,351 per pupil, $15,388 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.
Rochester School District · $19,008 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
How Rochester voted in 2024
Official results for Rochester’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Donald J TrumpRepublican56.0%2,225 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat41.9%1,665 votesOthers: 2.1% (85 votes).
Most votes in Rochester: Donald J Trump
Plymouth County: Harris 53.3%, Trump 44.5% · Massachusetts: Harris 61.2%, Trump 36.0%
of Rochester’s 4,640 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Massachusetts: 67%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Rochester: John Deaton
Plymouth County: Deaton 50.0%, Warren 49.9% · Massachusetts: Warren 59.8%, Deaton 40.0%
Most votes in the district: Bill Keating
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Rochester, its county and the state
| Trump | Harris | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rochester | 56.0% | 41.9% | 2.1% | 3,975 |
| Plymouth County | 44.5% | 53.3% | 2.2% | 300,129 |
| 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 Rochester.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: townofrochestermass.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 Rochester compares with the towns next door
Rochester spent $3,247 per resident in 2022; the 5 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $2,884 to $4,732. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Acushnet | $2,884 runs schools | $4,647 |
| Middleborough | $3,833 runs schools | $6,023 |
| Wareham | $3,908 runs schools | $4,341 |
| Mattapoisett | $4,108 runs schools | $6,588 |
| Marion | $4,732 runs schools | $5,766 |
| Rochester | $3,247 | $6,530 |
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 Rochester’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Rochester’s government
How much does Rochester spend per resident?
About $3,304 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 $3,247 was less than 80% of 50 Massachusetts towns and townships of 2,500–9,999 that run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Rochester?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $6,530 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.09% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.07% across Massachusetts. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see townofrochestermass.com.
Who runs Rochester’s government?
See townofrochestermass.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Rochester yet.
How did Rochester vote in 2024?
For president, Donald J Trump 56.0%, Kamala D Harris 41.9% (3,975 votes, official results). Plymouth County: Harris 53.3%, Trump 44.5%. Massachusetts: Harris 61.2%, Trump 36.0%.
How many people work for Rochester?
129 full-time and 43 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $763,285 (about $9.2M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Rochester in the state legislature?
State Senate District First Bristol and Plymouth (Michael Rodrigues) and State House District 10th Bristol (Mark Sylvia). The House district also covers five other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Rochester’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 →