Photo: Trevorwelsh · CC BY-SA 4.0Wellesley spent more per resident in 2022 than 97% of similar towns
Wellesley’s town government spent $274.2 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $8,982 per resident. Water and other utilities ($44 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Wellesley is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$8,544 per resident in 2022: more than 97% of them
Wellesley’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($8,544 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 30 Massachusetts towns and townships of 25,000–49,999 that run their own schools: the median was $4,548, and the middle half spent $4,076–$4,993. Wellesley spent more than 97% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($9.9 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 25,000–49,999 that run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Wellesley itself left out).
About $8,982 per resident a year, or $24.61 a day
Schools are part of the town’s budget, so they lead the receipt: 49% of day-to-day spending.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Wellesley runs its own schools, so school spending is part of this budget. Comparisons are with Massachusetts towns and townships of 25,000–49,999 that run their own schools.
Day-to-day spending is up 12% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Wellesley 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: $8,544 · 2023: $7,794 · 2024: $8,982. Per resident it went from $8,544 to $8,982 (up 5%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 28,684 to 30,524.
full-time in March 2025, up from 1,115 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.
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 Wellesley’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 Wellesley’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Wellesley →
Who’s in charge in Wellesley
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Wellesley’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on wellesleyma.gov ↗.
One full-time town employee for every 26 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (30,524).
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.
Wellesley School District
Wellesley’s K–12 school district. The schools are run by Wellesley, so this money is part of the budget above.
Of the $31,194 per pupil, $18,413 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 Wellesley voted in 2024
Official results for Wellesley’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat74.2%11,342 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican22.3%3,409 votesOthers: 3.5% (540 votes).
Most votes in Wellesley: Kamala D Harris
Norfolk County: Harris 62.8%, Trump 34.3% · Massachusetts: Harris 61.2%, Trump 36.0%
of Wellesley’s 20,737 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Massachusetts: 67%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Wellesley: Elizabeth Ann Warren
Norfolk County: Warren 59.3%, Deaton 40.5% · Massachusetts: Warren 59.8%, Deaton 40.0%
U.S. House, 2024: 2 districts cover Wellesley, so your street decides which race was yours. All 2 districts’ results →
President, 2024: Wellesley, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wellesley | 74.2% | 22.3% | 3.5% | 15,291 |
| Norfolk County | 62.8% | 34.3% | 2.9% | 386,447 |
| 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 Wellesley.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: wellesleyma.gov ↗
- 2Massachusetts HouseState representatives
- 3Massachusetts SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseSplit between districts
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Massachusetts
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Wellesley compares with the towns next door
Wellesley spent $8,544 per resident in 2022; the 5 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $4,640 to $9,211. 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 Wellesley’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Wellesley’s government
How much does Wellesley spend per resident?
About $8,982 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 $8,544 was more than 97% of 30 Massachusetts towns and townships of 25,000–49,999 that run their own schools.
Who runs Wellesley’s government?
See wellesleyma.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Wellesley yet.
How did Wellesley vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 74.2%, Donald J Trump 22.3% (15,291 votes, official results). Norfolk County: Harris 62.8%, Trump 34.3%. Massachusetts: Harris 61.2%, Trump 36.0%.
How many people work for Wellesley?
1,177 full-time and 239 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $11.1M (about $132.9M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Wellesley in the state legislature?
State Senate District Norfolk and Middlesex (Cynthia Creem) and State House District 14th Norfolk (Alice Peisch). The House district also covers two neighboring towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Wellesley’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 →