Photo: John Phelan · CC BY-SA 3.0In Bow, 87% of adult citizens voted for president in 2024, more than across New Hampshire
Bow’s town government spent $9.6 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $1,146 per resident. Water and other utilities ($120,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Bow is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
One full-time town employee for every 171 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 (8,386).
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.
About $1,146 per resident a year, or $3.14 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 20%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,066 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar towns
Bow’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,066 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 46 New Hampshire towns and townships of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $998, and the middle half spent $834–$1,203. Bow spent more than 61% of them.
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 →
New Hampshire towns and townships of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Bow itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is up 12% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Bow 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: $1,066 · 2024: $1,146.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $9,584 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.89% of the home’s value, vs 1.66% across New Hampshire.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Bow’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 Bow’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Bow →
Most New Hampshire towns vote on March 9, 2027
Check Bow’s own dates: some towns hold the business session on another day or vote by ballot (SB2).
Bow’s meetings aren’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on its website.
Town website ↗Most New Hampshire towns vote on the second Tuesday in March: officers are elected and warrant articles, including the budget, are decided.
Some towns hold the business session on another day, and some vote by ballot (SB2). Check Bow’s site for its warrant and dates.
Who’s in charge in Bow
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Bow School District
Bow’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $19,788 per pupil, $12,690 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.
New Hampshire districts overall: 64% local, 28% state, 8% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
How Bow voted in 2024
Official results for Bow’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat57.0%3,093 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican41.4%2,246 votesOthers: 1.7% (90 votes).
Most votes in Bow: Kamala D Harris
Merrimack County: Harris 51.8%, Trump 46.6% · New Hampshire: Harris 50.7%, Trump 47.9%
of Bow’s 6,238 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across New Hampshire: 74%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Bow: Kelly Ayotte
Merrimack County: Ayotte 52.1%, Craig 45.8% · New Hampshire: Ayotte 53.6%, Craig 44.3%
Most votes in the district: Maggie Goodlander
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Bow, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bow | 57.0% | 41.4% | 1.7% | 5,429 |
| Merrimack County | 51.8% | 46.6% | 1.5% | 92,978 |
| New Hampshire | 50.7% | 47.9% | 1.5% | 826,189 |
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
Bow sends 4 representatives to the New Hampshire House alone.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: bow-nh.com ↗
- 2New Hampshire House1 districts, 4 seatsMerrimack 94 seats, shared with Hopkinton
- 3New Hampshire SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of New Hampshire
New Hampshire elects some House members from “floterial” districts that join several towns; districts from RSA 662:5 (2022).
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Bow compares with the towns next door
Bow spent $1,066 per resident in 2022; the 3 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $1,204 to $1,371. 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 Bow’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Bow’s government
How much does Bow spend per resident?
About $1,146 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 $1,066 was more than 61% of 46 New Hampshire towns and townships of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Bow?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $9,584 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.89% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.66% across New Hampshire. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see bow-nh.com.
Who runs Bow’s government?
See bow-nh.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Bow yet.
How did Bow vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 57.0%, Donald J Trump 41.4% (5,429 votes, official results). Merrimack County: Harris 51.8%, Trump 46.6%. New Hampshire: Harris 50.7%, Trump 47.9%.
How many people work for Bow?
49 full-time and 62 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $392,362 (about $4.7M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Bow in the state legislature?
State Senate District 15 (Tara Reardon); State House Merrimack 9 (4 seats, shared with Hopkinton). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
When is town meeting in Bow?
Most New Hampshire towns vote on the second Tuesday in March (March 9, 2027). Some hold the business session on another day or vote by ballot (SB2), so check bow-nh.com for Bow’s own dates.
Ask neighbors about Bow’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), NH RSA 662:5; legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →