Photo: Connor Williams · CC BY 2.0Wellfleet spent more per resident in 2022 than 92% of similar towns
Wellfleet’s town government spent $21.7 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $7,961 per resident.
What stands out about how Wellfleet is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$7,961 per resident in 2022: more than 92% of them
Wellfleet’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($7,961 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 $4,160, and the middle half spent $3,380–$5,590. Wellfleet spent more than 92% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($311,000), 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; Wellfleet itself left out).
About $7,961 per resident a year, or $21.81 a day
Schools are part of the town’s budget, so they lead the receipt: 19% of day-to-day spending.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Wellfleet 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
Wellfleet reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $4,862 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.57% 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 Wellfleet’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 Wellfleet’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Wellfleet →
Who’s in charge in Wellfleet
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time town employee for every 20 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 (2,728).
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.
Nauset School District
Wellfleet’s middle and high school district, shared with Brewster, Eastham, Orleans. The schools are run by Wellfleet, so this money is part of the budget above.
Of the $33,784 per pupil, $18,046 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.
Wellfleet School District · $43,901 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
How Wellfleet voted in 2024
Official results for Wellfleet’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat75.8%1,890 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican21.1%525 votesOthers: 3.1% (78 votes).
Most votes in Wellfleet: Kamala D Harris
Barnstable County: Harris 59.2%, Trump 38.6% · Massachusetts: Harris 61.2%, Trump 36.0%
of Wellfleet’s 3,767 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Massachusetts: 67%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Wellfleet: Elizabeth Ann Warren
Barnstable County: Warren 55.3%, Deaton 44.6% · Massachusetts: Warren 59.8%, Deaton 40.0%
Most votes in the district: Bill Keating
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Wellfleet, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wellfleet | 75.8% | 21.1% | 3.1% | 2,493 |
| Barnstable County | 59.2% | 38.6% | 2.2% | 148,785 |
| 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 Wellfleet.
- 1Your townTown governmentLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 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 Wellfleet compares with the towns next door
Wellfleet spent $7,961 per resident in 2022; the 2 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $5,653 to $9,918. 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 Wellfleet’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Wellfleet’s government
How much does Wellfleet spend per resident?
About $7,961 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 $7,961 was more than 92% of 50 Massachusetts towns and townships of 2,500–9,999 that run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Wellfleet?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $4,862 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.57% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.07% across Massachusetts. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the town’s assessor.
Who runs Wellfleet’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Wellfleet yet.
How did Wellfleet vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 75.8%, Donald J Trump 21.1% (2,493 votes, official results). Barnstable County: Harris 59.2%, Trump 38.6%. Massachusetts: Harris 61.2%, Trump 36.0%.
How many people work for Wellfleet?
136 full-time and 30 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $916,298 (about $11.0M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Wellfleet in the state legislature?
State Senate District Cape and Islands (Julian Cyr) and State House District 4th Barnstable (Hadley Luddy). The House district also covers six other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Wellfleet’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 →