Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0Salisbury spent more per resident in 2022 than 83% of similar towns
Salisbury’s town government spent $16.3 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $1,695 per resident. That is its newest year reported to the Census Bureau. Water and other utilities ($1.7 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Salisbury is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$1,695 per resident in 2022: more than 83% of them
Salisbury’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,695 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 $1,363, and the middle half spent $1,208–$1,583. Salisbury spent more than 83% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($1.3 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 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Salisbury itself left out).
About $1,695 per resident a year, or $4.64 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 21%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Salisbury reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau (2024 is an estimate), so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $4,604 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.96% 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 Salisbury’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 Salisbury’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Salisbury →
Who’s in charge in Salisbury
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Salisbury’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on salisburyma.gov ↗.
One full-time town employee for every 178 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 (9,591).
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.
Triton School District
Salisbury’s K–12 school district, shared with Newbury, Rowley. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
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.
Massachusetts districts overall: 49% local, 43% state, 8% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
How Salisbury voted in 2024
Official results for Salisbury’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Donald J TrumpRepublican49.5%2,727 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat48.2%2,657 votesOthers: 2.2% (123 votes).
Most votes in Salisbury: Donald J Trump
Essex County: Harris 58.9%, Trump 38.7% · Massachusetts: Harris 61.2%, Trump 36.0%
of Salisbury’s 7,798 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Massachusetts: 67%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Salisbury: John Deaton
Essex County: Warren 57.8%, Deaton 42.0% · Massachusetts: Warren 59.8%, Deaton 40.0%
Most votes in the district: Seth W Moulton
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Salisbury, its county and the state
| Trump | Harris | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salisbury | 49.5% | 48.2% | 2.2% | 5,507 |
| Essex County | 38.7% | 58.9% | 2.5% | 401,851 |
| 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 Salisbury.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: salisburyma.gov ↗
- 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 Salisbury compares with the towns next door
Salisbury spent $1,695 per resident in 2022. Most of its neighbors are cities, a different kind of government, so the like-for-like comparison is with similar towns, above. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Amesbury | $4,103 runs schools | $7,360 |
| Newburyport | $4,894 runs schools | $7,944 |
| Salisbury | $1,695 | $4,604 |
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 Salisbury’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Salisbury’s government
How much does Salisbury spend per resident?
About $1,695 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 $1,695 was more than 83% 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 Salisbury?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $4,604 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.96% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.07% across Massachusetts. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see salisburyma.gov.
Who runs Salisbury’s government?
See salisburyma.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Salisbury yet.
How did Salisbury vote in 2024?
For president, Donald J Trump 49.5%, Kamala D Harris 48.2% (5,507 votes, official results). Essex County: Harris 58.9%, Trump 38.7%. Massachusetts: Harris 61.2%, Trump 36.0%.
How many people work for Salisbury?
54 full-time and 73 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $616,685 (about $7.4M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Salisbury in the state legislature?
State Senate District First Essex and Middlesex (Bruce Tarr) and State House District 1st Essex (Dawne Shand). The House district also covers two neighboring towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Salisbury’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 →