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Rowley, MassachusettsPhoto: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0
Town Hall · Rowley

Rowley spent less per resident in 2022 than 81% of similar towns

Rowley’s town government spent $7.5 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $1,175 per resident. Water and other utilities ($9 million) are counted separately.

Town website
Election Day

Tomorrow

General election in Massachusetts.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$7.5M
year to June 30, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$1,175
In 2022: $1,175, less than 81% of 48 similar towns
Long-term debt
$38.9M
end of FY2022, reported
Town staff, 2022
69
full-time · 37 part-time · March payroll $482,298
Typical tax bill
$8,309
1.25% of home value · MA 1.07%

What stands out about how Rowley is run

Read from the town’s budget and official records.

Compared with similar places

$1,175 per resident in 2022: less than 81% of them

Rowley’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,175 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 48 Massachusetts towns and townships of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,369, and the middle half spent $1,214–$1,619. Rowley spent less than 81% of them.

Middle half of the group, $1,214–$1,619Median $1,369Rowley

Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →

The group
48

Massachusetts towns and townships of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Rowley itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $1,175 per resident a year, or $3.22 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 23%.

Where the money comes from
Property taxes 55%Utility sales 29%From the federal government 6%From the state 5%Sales taxes 1%Interest, fines & other 1%Other taxes & licenses 1%Fees & charges 1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $1.3 million; interest on debt $1.3 million; payments to other governments $11.9 million. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $31 million.
About “Other”.32% of Rowley’s day-to-day spending ($2.4 million) is filed by the Census Bureau outside the named functions above, so the receipt can’t say what it buys.
Over the years

No trend yet

Rowley reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $8,309 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.25% of the home’s value, vs 1.07% across Massachusetts.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Boxford$10,000+
Rowley$8,309
Ipswich$7,960
Georgetown$7,272
Newbury$6,661
Massachusetts$5,992
$8,309
typical bill a year
1.25%
effective rate
$667,300
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Rowley’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 Rowley’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Rowley →

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Rowley

Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.

See townofrowley.net for Rowley’s current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Rowley yet.townofrowley.net ↗
Agendas

Rowley’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on townofrowley.net ↗.

Who works for Rowley

One full-time town employee for every 93 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 (6,393).

By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022

Police18 + 4 pt
Administration & buildings13 + 8 pt
Water & other utilities16 + 1 pt
Parks & libraries4 + 13 pt
Health & welfare6 + 6 pt
Fire7
Roads & transportation5 + 1 pt
Other0 + 4 pt
69
full-time
37
part-time
$482,298
payroll for March 2022
$5.8M
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$77,500
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
12
sworn police officers
7
full-time firefighters
Compared, 2022.Rowley had 10.8 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 27 of the 48 Massachusetts towns and townships of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 7.1: Rowley had more than 89% of them. Same group and year as the budget comparison.

The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.

The school district

Triton School District

Rowley’s K–12 school district, shared with Newbury, Salisbury. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Rowley →
$25,748
per pupil · MA $26,530
2,155
students
None
long-term debt

Of the $25,748 per pupil, $17,598 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.

The district: schools, scores and graduation →

Where the district’s money comes from
Local 67%State 28%Federal 5%

Massachusetts districts overall: 49% local, 43% state, 8% federal.

School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.

Elections · 2024 general election

How Rowley voted in 2024

Official results for Rowley’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.

President4,084 votes · results as certified
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat50.5%2,063 votes
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican47.0%1,919 votes

Others: 2.5% (102 votes).

Most votes in Rowley: Kamala D Harris

Essex County: Harris 58.9%, Trump 38.7% · Massachusetts: Harris 61.2%, Trump 36.0%

Turnout
81%

of Rowley’s 5,015 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Massachusetts: 67%.

Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).

U.S. Senate4,040 votes
John DeatonRepublican54.3%
Elizabeth Ann WarrenDemocrat45.6%
Others0.1%

Most votes in Rowley: John Deaton

Essex County: Warren 57.8%, Deaton 42.0% · Massachusetts: Warren 59.8%, Deaton 40.0%

U.S. House · Massachusetts’s 6th District328,377 votes
Seth W MoultonDemocrat97.8%
All Others2.2%

Most votes in the district: Seth W Moulton

Whole-district result

President, 2024: Rowley, its county and the state

HarrisTrumpOthersVotes
Rowley50.5%47.0%2.5%4,084
Essex County58.9%38.7%2.5%401,851
Massachusetts61.2%36.0%2.8%3,473,668
DemocratRepublicanLibertarianIndependent / other

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.

Who represents Rowley

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Rowley.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your townTown government
  2. 2
    Massachusetts HouseState representatives
  3. 3
    Massachusetts SenateState senator
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Massachusetts

Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.

Next door

How Rowley compares with the towns next door

Rowley spent $1,175 per resident in 2022; the 4 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $1,323 to $4,462. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.

Spends the leastSpends the mostEstimate or no figures
TownDay-to-day, per resident (2022)Tax bill
Newbury$1,323$6,661
Boxford$3,370 runs schools$10,000+
Ipswich$4,398 runs schools$7,960
Georgetown$4,462 runs schools$7,272
Rowley$1,175$8,309

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 Rowley’s government

The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Rowley’s government

How much does Rowley spend per resident?

About $1,175 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 $1,175 was less than 81% of 48 Massachusetts towns and townships of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Rowley?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $8,309 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.25% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.07% across Massachusetts. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see townofrowley.net.

Who runs Rowley’s government?

See townofrowley.net for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Rowley yet.

How did Rowley vote in 2024?

For president, Kamala D Harris 50.5%, Donald J Trump 47.0% (4,084 votes, official results). Essex County: Harris 58.9%, Trump 38.7%. Massachusetts: Harris 61.2%, Trump 36.0%.

How many people work for Rowley?

69 full-time and 37 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $482,298 (about $5.8M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Rowley in the state legislature?

State Senate District First Essex and Middlesex (Bruce Tarr) and State House District 2nd Essex (Kristin Kassner). The House district also covers five other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Rowley’s government

Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.

Town Square →
Ask neighbors

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 →