Photo: Fletcher6 · CC BY-SA 3.0Topsfield spent less per resident in 2022 than 68% of similar towns
Topsfield’s town government spent $24.7 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $3,702 per resident. Water and other utilities ($761,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Topsfield is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$3,702 per resident in 2022: less than 68% of them
Topsfield’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($3,702 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 $3,380–$5,633. Topsfield spent less than 68% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($438,000), 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; Topsfield itself left out).
About $3,702 per resident a year, or $10.14 a day
Schools are part of the town’s budget, so they lead the receipt: 54% of day-to-day spending.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Topsfield 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.
No trend yet
Topsfield reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
Typical bills top $10,000 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Topsfield’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 Topsfield’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Topsfield →
Who’s in charge in Topsfield
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Topsfield’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on topsfield-ma.gov ↗.
One full-time town employee for every 36 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 (6,660).
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.
Masconomet School District
Topsfield’s middle and high school district, shared with Boxford, Middleton. The schools are run by Topsfield, so this money is part of the budget above.
Of the $26,803 per pupil, $16,565 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.
Topsfield School District · $24,291 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
How Topsfield voted in 2024
Official results for Topsfield’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat58.1%2,480 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican39.5%1,685 votesOthers: 2.5% (106 votes).
Most votes in Topsfield: Kamala D Harris
Essex County: Harris 58.9%, Trump 38.7% · Massachusetts: Harris 61.2%, Trump 36.0%
of Topsfield’s 4,816 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Massachusetts: 67%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Topsfield: Elizabeth Ann Warren
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: Topsfield, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Topsfield | 58.1% | 39.5% | 2.5% | 4,271 |
| Essex County | 58.9% | 38.7% | 2.5% | 401,851 |
| 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 Topsfield.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: topsfield-ma.gov ↗
- 2Massachusetts HouseTopsfield is split between 2 districts
- 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 Topsfield compares with the towns next door
Topsfield spent $3,702 per resident in 2022; the 6 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $1,286 to $4,398. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
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 Topsfield’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Topsfield’s government
How much does Topsfield spend per resident?
About $3,702 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 $3,702 was less than 68% of 50 Massachusetts towns and townships of 2,500–9,999 that run their own schools.
Who runs Topsfield’s government?
See topsfield-ma.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Topsfield yet.
How did Topsfield vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 58.1%, Donald J Trump 39.5% (4,271 votes, official results). Essex County: Harris 58.9%, Trump 38.7%. Massachusetts: Harris 61.2%, Trump 36.0%.
How many people work for Topsfield?
184 full-time and 89 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $1.1M (about $13.5M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Topsfield in the state legislature?
Topsfield is split among 2 State House districts, so your address decides. The Massachusetts Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Its State Senate district is District First Essex and Middlesex (Bruce Tarr). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Topsfield’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 →