Photo: Kenneth C. Zirkel · CC BY-SA 4.0Waltham spent more per resident in 2022 than 67% of similar cities
Waltham’s city government spent $383.7 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $5,989 per resident. Water and other utilities ($16.3 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Waltham is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
Who’s in charge in Waltham
From public records with a current term; a name is hidden the day its term ends.
Council members and agencies: city.waltham.ma.us ↗
Waltham’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on city.waltham.ma.us ↗.
About $5,989 per resident a year, or $16.41 a day
Schools are part of the city’s budget, so they lead the receipt: 44% of day-to-day spending.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Waltham runs its own schools, so school spending is part of this budget. Comparisons are with Massachusetts cities of 50,000–99,999 that run their own schools.
$4,506 per resident in 2022: more than 67% of them
Waltham’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($4,506 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 18 Massachusetts cities of 50,000–99,999 that run their own schools: the median was $4,216, and the middle half spent $3,909–$4,965. Waltham spent more than 67% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($21.1 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 cities of 50,000–99,999 that run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Waltham itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is up 37% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Waltham 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: $4,506 · 2023: $4,605 · 2024: $5,989.
full-time in March 2025, up from 1,669 in 2022. Both are Census estimates.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $4,766 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.64% 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 Waltham’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 Waltham’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Waltham →
One full-time city employee for every 37 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (64,065).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Waltham School District
Waltham’s K–12 school district. The schools are run by Waltham, so this money is part of the budget above.
Of the $28,352 per pupil, $16,962 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 Waltham voted in 2024
Official results for Waltham’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat68.1%18,048 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican29.5%7,824 votesOthers: 2.3% (617 votes).
Most votes in Waltham: Kamala D Harris
Middlesex County: Harris 68.0%, Trump 28.9% · Massachusetts: Harris 61.2%, Trump 36.0%
of Waltham’s 47,467 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Massachusetts: 67%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Waltham: Elizabeth Ann Warren
Middlesex County: Warren 66.5%, Deaton 33.3% · Massachusetts: Warren 59.8%, Deaton 40.0%
Most votes in the district: Katherine M Clark
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Waltham, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waltham | 68.1% | 29.5% | 2.3% | 26,489 |
| Middlesex County | 68.0% | 28.9% | 3.1% | 814,832 |
| 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 Waltham.
- 1Your cityMayorJeannette A. McCarthyas listed by Open States, October 9, 2026
- 2Massachusetts HouseWaltham 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 Waltham compares with the towns next door
Waltham spent $4,506 per resident in 2022. Most of its neighbors are townships, a different kind of government, so the like-for-like comparison is with similar cities, above. 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 Waltham’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Waltham’s government
How much does Waltham spend per resident?
About $5,989 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $4,506 was more than 67% of 18 Massachusetts cities of 50,000–99,999 that run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Waltham?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $4,766 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.64% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.07% across Massachusetts. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see city.waltham.ma.us.
Who is the mayor of Waltham?
Jeannette A. McCarthy, as listed by Open States (checked October 9, 2026). The council and agencies are listed on city.waltham.ma.us.
How did Waltham vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 68.1%, Donald J Trump 29.5% (26,489 votes, official results). Middlesex County: Harris 68.0%, Trump 28.9%. Massachusetts: Harris 61.2%, Trump 36.0%.
How many people work for Waltham?
1,731 full-time and 189 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $14.1M (about $168.7M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Waltham in the state legislature?
Waltham is split among 2 State House districts, so your address decides. The Massachusetts Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Its State Senate district is District Third Middlesex (Mike Barrett). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Waltham’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 →