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2016-08-20 12 31 05 View north along Maryland State Route 30 Business (Main Street) at Maryland State Route 833 (Black Rock Road) in Hampstead, Carroll County, MarylandPhoto: Famartin · CC BY-SA 4.0
Town Hall · Hampstead

Hampstead spent less per resident in 2022 than 100% of similar cities

Hampstead’s town government spent $3.3 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $523 per resident. Water and other utilities ($1.4 million) are counted separately.

Town website
Election Day

Tomorrow

General election in Maryland.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2024
$3.3M
year to June 30, 2024
Per resident, 2024
$523
In 2022: $457, less than 100% of 37 similar cities
Long-term debt
$3.0M
end of FY2024, reported
Town staff, 2022
24
full-time · 1 part-time · March payroll $141,917
Typical tax bill
$3,480
1.05% of home value · MD 0.97%

What stands out about how Hampstead is run

Read from the town’s budget and official records.

Compared with similar places

$457 per resident in 2022: less than 100% of them

Hampstead’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($457 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 37 Maryland cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $927, and the middle half spent $757–$1,266. Hampstead spent less than 100% of them.

Middle half of the group, $757–$1,266Median $927Hampstead

Includes sewer and trash ($451,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →

The group
37

Maryland cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Hampstead itself left out).

Your share of the 2024 budget

About $523 per resident a year, or $1.43 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 33%.

Where the money comes from
Property taxes 31%Utility sales 23%Income taxes 22%From the state 11%Interest, fines & other 10%Other taxes & licenses 2%Sales taxes 1%Fees & charges <1%From other local governments <1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $695,000; interest on debt $124,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $5.5 million.
Over the years

Day-to-day spending is up 13% since 2022

Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Hampstead reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.

Day-to-day spending by fiscal year

2022$2.9 million
2024$3.3 million

Per resident: 2022: $457 · 2024: $523.

Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $3,480 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.05% of the home’s value, vs 0.97% across Maryland.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Maryland$4,093
Hampstead$3,480
$3,480
typical bill a year
1.05%
effective rate
$333,000
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Hampstead

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

See hampsteadmd.gov for Hampstead’s current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Hampstead yet.hampsteadmd.gov ↗
Agendas

Hampstead’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on hampsteadmd.gov ↗.

Who works for Hampstead

One full-time town employee for every 264 residents

On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (6,342).

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

Police11
Water & other utilities8 + 1 pt
Administration & buildings5
24
full-time
1
part-time
$141,917
payroll for March 2022
$1.7M
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$69,400
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
10
sworn police officers
Compared, 2022.Hampstead had 3.7 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 30 of the 37 Maryland cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 5.5: Hampstead had fewer than 80% 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

Carroll County Public Schools

Hampstead’s K–12 school district, shared with Manchester, New Windsor, Sykesville, Taneytown, Union Bridge and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Hampstead →
$16,773
per pupil · MD $20,258
26,123
students
$108.9 million
long-term debt

Of the $16,773 per pupil, $10,172 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 55%State 40%Federal 5%

Maryland districts overall: 47% local, 44% state, 9% federal.

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Hampstead’s votes are counted by county

Maryland reports official results by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Hampstead alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Carroll County’s results.

President · Carroll County’s results102,651 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican60.7%62,273 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat35.9%36,867 votes

Others: 3.4% (3,511 votes).

Most votes in Carroll County: Donald J Trump

Maryland: Harris 62.6%, Trump 34.1%

The county’s page

100% of Hampstead lies in Carroll County. Every 2024 race in Carroll County is on the county’s page.

Carroll County’s 2024 results →
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 Hampstead

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Hampstead.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your townTown government
  2. 2
    Maryland House of DelegatesState representatives
  3. 3
    Maryland SenateState senator
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Maryland

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

Reach Hampstead’s government

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

The Handbook →

Questions about Hampstead’s government

How much does Hampstead spend per resident?

About $523 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 $457 was less than 100% of 37 Maryland cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Hampstead?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,480 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.05% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.97% across Maryland. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see hampsteadmd.gov.

Who runs Hampstead’s government?

See hampsteadmd.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Hampstead yet.

How did Hampstead vote in 2024?

Maryland counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Hampstead alone. Carroll County, where 100% of Hampstead lies, voted Trump 60.7%, Harris 35.9% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Hampstead?

24 full-time and 1 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $141,917 (about $1.7M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Hampstead in the state legislature?

State Senate District 42 (Chris West) and House of Delegates District 42C (Josh Stonko). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Hampstead’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 →