Photo: John Phelan · CC BY-SA 4.0In Shutesbury, 77% of adult citizens voted for president in 2024, more than across Massachusetts
Shutesbury’s town government spent $6.1 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $3,493 per resident.
What stands out about how Shutesbury is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
Amherst-Pelham School District
Shutesbury’s middle and high school district, shared with Amherst Town, Leverett, Pelham. The schools are run by Shutesbury, so this money is part of the budget above.
Of the $31,061 per pupil, $17,221 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.
Shutesbury School District · $29,721 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
About $3,493 per resident a year, or $9.57 a day
Schools are part of the town’s budget, so they lead the receipt: 61% of day-to-day spending.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Shutesbury runs its own schools, so school spending is part of this budget. Comparisons are with Massachusetts towns and townships of under 2,500 that run their own schools.
$3,493 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar towns
Shutesbury’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($3,493 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 31 Massachusetts towns and townships of under 2,500 that run their own schools: the median was $3,447, and the middle half spent $2,791–$4,298. Shutesbury spent more than 55% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($105,000), 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 under 2,500 that run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Shutesbury itself left out).
No trend yet
Shutesbury reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $6,642 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.77% 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 Shutesbury’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. In a town this small the estimate has a wide margin.
Tax bills are one input to Shutesbury’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Shutesbury →
Who’s in charge in Shutesbury
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Shutesbury’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on shutesbury.org ↗.
One full-time town employee for every 58 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 (1,753).
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.
How Shutesbury voted in 2024
Official results for Shutesbury’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat82.9%1,030 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican13.6%169 votesOthers: 3.5% (43 votes).
Most votes in Shutesbury: Kamala D Harris
Franklin County: Harris 67.0%, Trump 29.4% · Massachusetts: Harris 61.2%, Trump 36.0%
of Shutesbury’s 1,607 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Massachusetts: 67%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Shutesbury: Elizabeth Ann Warren
Franklin County: Warren 66.9%, Deaton 32.9% · Massachusetts: Warren 59.8%, Deaton 40.0%
Most votes in the district: James P Mc Govern
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Shutesbury, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shutesbury | 82.9% | 13.6% | 3.5% | 1,242 |
| Franklin County | 67.0% | 29.4% | 3.6% | 42,248 |
| 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 Shutesbury.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: shutesbury.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 Shutesbury compares with the towns next door
Shutesbury spent $3,493 per resident in 2022; the 3 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $1,522 to $3,476. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| New Salem | $1,522 runs schools | $4,509 |
| Amherst Town | $1,929 runs schools | $8,787 |
| Pelham | $3,476 runs schools | $7,472 |
| Shutesbury | $3,493 | $6,642 |
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 Shutesbury’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Shutesbury’s government
How much does Shutesbury spend per resident?
About $3,493 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 $3,493 was more than 55% of 31 Massachusetts towns and townships of under 2,500 that run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Shutesbury?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $6,642 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.77% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.07% across Massachusetts. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see shutesbury.org.
Who runs Shutesbury’s government?
See shutesbury.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Shutesbury yet.
How did Shutesbury vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 82.9%, Donald J Trump 13.6% (1,242 votes, official results). Franklin County: Harris 67.0%, Trump 29.4%. Massachusetts: Harris 61.2%, Trump 36.0%.
How many people work for Shutesbury?
30 full-time and 22 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $233,830 (about $2.8M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Shutesbury in the state legislature?
State Senate District Hampshire-Franklin-Worcester (Jo Comerford) and State House District 7th Hampden (Aaron Saunders). The House district also covers six other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Shutesbury’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 →