Photo: Ascended Dreamer · CC BY 4.0Canaan spent less per resident in 2022 than 100% of similar towns
Canaan’s town government spent $4.2 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2023, about $1,095 per resident. Water and other utilities ($81,000) are counted separately.
In 124 days
Most NH towns vote that day. Check Canaan’s site for its own date.
What stands out about how Canaan is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$315 per resident in 2022: less than 100% of them
Canaan’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($315 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 $1,000, and the middle half spent $861–$1,203. Canaan spent less than 100% of 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; Canaan itself left out).
About $1,095 per resident a year, or $3.00 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 26%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 238% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Canaan 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: $315 · 2023: $1,095. Per resident it went from $315 to $1,095 (up 248%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 3,917 to 3,810.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $5,985 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 2.36% 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 Canaan’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 Canaan’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Canaan →
Most New Hampshire towns vote on March 9, 2027
Check Canaan’s own dates: some towns hold the business session on another day or vote by ballot (SB2).
Canaan’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 Canaan’s site for its warrant and dates.
Who’s in charge in Canaan
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time town employee for every 159 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2023 finance file (3,810).
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.
Mascoma Valley Regional School District
Canaan’s K–12 school district, shared with Dorchester, Enfield, Grafton, Orange. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $25,731 per pupil, $15,365 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 Canaan voted in 2024
Official results for Canaan’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat54.3%1,190 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican44.3%971 votesOthers: 1.4% (30 votes).
Most votes in Canaan: Kamala D Harris
Grafton County: Harris 59.0%, Trump 39.2% · New Hampshire: Harris 50.7%, Trump 47.9%
of Canaan’s 3,219 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across New Hampshire: 74%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Canaan: Joyce Craig
Grafton County: Craig 53.3%, Ayotte 44.3% · New Hampshire: Ayotte 53.6%, Craig 44.3%
Most votes in the district: Maggie Goodlander
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Canaan, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canaan | 54.3% | 44.3% | 1.4% | 2,191 |
| Grafton County | 59.0% | 39.2% | 1.8% | 55,895 |
| 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
Every level of government that speaks for Canaan.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: townofcanaannh.us ↗
- 2New Hampshire House2 districts, 2 seatsGrafton 91 seat, shared with Dorchester and OrangeMembers not listed yetGrafton 181 seat, a floterial district shared with Alexandria, Bridgewater, Bristol, Dorchester, Enfield, Grafton, Groton, Hebron and OrangeMember not listed yet
- 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 Canaan compares with the towns next door
Canaan spent $315 per resident in 2022; the 3 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $826 to $5,396. 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 Canaan’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Canaan’s government
How much does Canaan spend per resident?
About $1,095 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2023, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $315 was less than 100% 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 Canaan?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $5,985 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 2.36% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.66% across New Hampshire. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see townofcanaannh.us.
Who runs Canaan’s government?
See townofcanaannh.us for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Canaan yet.
How did Canaan vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 54.3%, Donald J Trump 44.3% (2,191 votes, official results). Grafton County: Harris 59.0%, Trump 39.2%. New Hampshire: Harris 50.7%, Trump 47.9%.
How many people work for Canaan?
24 full-time and 58 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $164,580 (about $2.0M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Canaan in the state legislature?
State Senate District 5 (Sue Prentiss); State House Grafton 9 (1 seat, shared with Dorchester and Orange) and Grafton 18 (1 floterial seat shared with Alexandria, Bridgewater, Bristol, Dorchester, Enfield, Grafton, Groton, Hebron and Orange). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
When is town meeting in Canaan?
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 townofcanaannh.us for Canaan’s own dates.
Ask neighbors about Canaan’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 →