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Wood, Ezra-Levi Warner PlaceWood, Ezra-Levi Warner Place · Photo: User:Magicpiano · CC BY-SA 4.0
Town Hall · Westminster

Westminster spent more per resident in 2022 than 79% of similar towns

Westminster’s town government spent $13.4 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $1,657 per resident. Water and other utilities ($1.5 million) are counted separately.

Town website
Election Day

Today

General election in Massachusetts.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$13.4M
year to June 30, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$1,657
In 2022: $1,657, more than 79% of 48 similar towns
Long-term debt
$3.6M
end of FY2022, reported
Town staff, 2022
65
full-time · 53 part-time · March payroll $445,582
Typical tax bill
$4,973
1.18% of home value · MA 1.07%

What stands out about how Westminster is run

Read from the town’s budget and official records.

Compared with similar places

$1,657 per resident in 2022: more than 79% of them

Westminster’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,657 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 48 Massachusetts towns and townships of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,363, and the middle half spent $1,208–$1,583. Westminster spent more than 79% of them.

Middle half of the group, $1,208–$1,583Median $1,363Westminster

Includes sewer and trash ($1.1 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 →

The group
48

Massachusetts towns and townships of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Westminster itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $1,657 per resident a year, or $4.54 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 16%.

Where the money comes from
Property taxes 69%Fees & charges 15%From the state 5%Utility sales 3%From the federal government 3%Sales taxes 2%Other taxes & licenses 1%Interest, fines & other 1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $2.9 million; interest on debt $97,000; payments to other governments $11.4 million. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $29.3 million.
About “Other”.31% of Westminster’s day-to-day spending ($4.2 million) is filed by the Census Bureau outside the named functions above, so the receipt can’t say what it buys.
Over the years

No trend yet

Westminster reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $4,973 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.18% of the home’s value, vs 1.07% across Massachusetts.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Princeton$6,633
Ashburnham$6,046
Massachusetts$5,992
Westminster$4,973
Hubbardston$4,716
Fitchburg$4,456
Gardner$4,150
$4,973
typical bill a year
1.18%
effective rate
$422,000
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Westminster’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 Westminster’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Westminster →

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Westminster

Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.

See westminster-ma.gov for Westminster’s current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Westminster yet.westminster-ma.gov ↗
Agendas

Westminster’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on westminster-ma.gov ↗.

Who works for Westminster

One full-time town employee for every 124 residents

On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (8,091).

By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022

Administration & buildings16 + 16 pt
Police12 + 6 pt
Roads & transportation14
Fire8 + 3 pt
Parks & libraries3 + 8 pt
Health & welfare2 + 8 pt
Sewer & trash3
Other7 + 12 pt
65
full-time
53
part-time
$445,582
payroll for March 2022
$5.3M
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$75,900
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
11
sworn police officers
7
full-time firefighters
Compared, 2022.Westminster had 8.0 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 27 of the 48 Massachusetts towns and townships of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 7.1: Westminster had more than 67% of them. Same group and year as the budget comparison.

The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.

The school district

Ashburnham-Westminster School District

Westminster’s K–12 school district, shared with Ashburnham. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Westminster →
$16,906
per pupil · MA $26,530
2,264
students
$965,000
long-term debt

Of the $16,906 per pupil, $10,244 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.

The district: schools, scores and graduation →

Where the district’s money comes from
Local 47%State 47%Federal 7%

Massachusetts districts overall: 49% local, 43% state, 8% federal.

School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.

Elections · 2024 general election

How Westminster voted in 2024

Official results for Westminster’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.

President5,362 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican49.2%2,640 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat48.3%2,588 votes

Others: 2.5% (134 votes).

Most votes in Westminster: Donald J Trump

Worcester County: Harris 53.6%, Trump 43.7% · Massachusetts: Harris 61.2%, Trump 36.0%

Turnout
82%

of Westminster’s 6,552 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Massachusetts: 67%.

Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).

U.S. Senate5,276 votes
John DeatonRepublican55.5%
Elizabeth Ann WarrenDemocrat44.4%
Others0.1%

Most votes in Westminster: John Deaton

Worcester County: Warren 51.9%, Deaton 48.0% · Massachusetts: Warren 59.8%, Deaton 40.0%

U.S. House, 2024: 2 districts cover Westminster, so your street decides which race was yours. All 2 districts’ results →

President, 2024: Westminster, its county and the state

TrumpHarrisOthersVotes
Westminster49.2%48.3%2.5%5,362
Worcester County43.7%53.6%2.7%420,841
Massachusetts36.0%61.2%2.8%3,473,668
DemocratRepublicanLibertarianIndependent / other

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.

Who represents Westminster

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Westminster.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your townTown government
  2. 2
    Massachusetts HouseState representatives
  3. 3
    Massachusetts SenateState senator
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseSplit between districts
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Massachusetts

Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.

Next door

How Westminster compares with the towns next door

Westminster spent $1,657 per resident in 2022; the 5 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $941 to $3,780. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.

Spends the leastSpends the mostEstimate or no figures
TownDay-to-day, per resident (2022)Tax bill
Hubbardston$941$4,716
Princeton$1,374$6,633
Ashburnham$1,448$6,046
Gardner$3,263 runs schools$4,150
Fitchburg$3,780 runs schools$4,456
Westminster$1,657$4,973

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 Westminster’s government

The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Westminster’s government

How much does Westminster spend per resident?

About $1,657 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 $1,657 was more than 79% of 48 Massachusetts towns and townships of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Westminster?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $4,973 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.18% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.07% across Massachusetts. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see westminster-ma.gov.

Who runs Westminster’s government?

See westminster-ma.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Westminster yet.

How did Westminster vote in 2024?

For president, Donald J Trump 49.2%, Kamala D Harris 48.3% (5,362 votes, official results). Worcester County: Harris 53.6%, Trump 43.7%. Massachusetts: Harris 61.2%, Trump 36.0%.

How many people work for Westminster?

65 full-time and 53 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $445,582 (about $5.3M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Westminster in the state legislature?

State Senate District Worcester and Hampshire (Peter Durant) and State House District 1st Worcester (Kim Ferguson). The House district also covers four other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Westminster’s government

Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.

Town Square →
Ask neighbors

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 →