Photo: Jon Platek · CC BY-SA 3.0Keene spent more per resident in 2022 than 90% of similar cities
Keene’s city government spent $51.4 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $2,259 per resident. Water and other utilities ($6.5 million) and the airport ($722,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Keene is run
Read from the city’s budget, meetings and official records.
6 upcoming meetings at town hall
From Keene’s own agenda portal, checked daily. Agendas can change up to the meeting, so check before you go.
- Nov5City CouncilThursday · 7:00 pmCity Council MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov12Planning, Licenses and Development CommitteeThursday · 5:30 pmPlanning, Licenses and Development Committee MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov12Finance, Organization and Personnel CommitteeThursday · 7:00 pmFinance, Organization and Personnel Committee MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov19City CouncilThursday · 7:00 pmCity Council MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov23Planning BoardMonday · 6:30 pmMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov25Municipal Services, Facilities and Infrastructure CommitteeWednesday · 6:00 pmMunicipal Services Facilities and Infrastructure Committee MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
Recent meetings
- Oct26Planning BoardMonday · 6:30 pmAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Oct22Finance, Organization and Personnel CommitteeThursday · 6:00 pmFinance, Organization and Personnel Committee MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Oct21Municipal Services, Facilities and Infrastructure CommitteeWednesday · 6:00 pmMunicipal Services Facilities and Infrastructure Committee MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Oct15City CouncilThursday · 7:00 pmCity Council MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Oct8Finance, Organization and Personnel CommitteeThursday · 6:00 pmFinance, Organization and Personnel Committee MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
Most meetings are open to the public, and many have a public comment period at the start.
Agenda portal ↗About $2,259 per resident a year, or $6.19 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 23%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$2,102 per resident in 2022: more than 90% of them
Keene’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($2,102 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 1205 U.S. cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,189, and the middle half spent $878–$1,544. Keene spent more than 90% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($7.8 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 →
U.S. cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Keene itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is up 8% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Keene 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: $2,102 · 2023: $1,874 · 2024: $2,259.
full-time in March 2025, up from 234 in 2022. Both are Census estimates.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $6,812 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 2.70% 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 Keene’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 Keene’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Keene →
Who’s in charge in Keene
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time city employee for every 95 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (22,774).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Keene School District
Keene’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $21,148 per pupil, $12,306 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 Keene voted in 2024
Official results for Keene’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat65.9%8,541 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican32.3%4,183 votesOthers: 1.8% (231 votes).
Most votes in Keene: Kamala D Harris
Cheshire County: Harris 54.2%, Trump 44.2% · New Hampshire: Harris 50.7%, Trump 47.9%
of Keene’s 19,293 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across New Hampshire: 74%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Keene: Joyce Craig
Cheshire County: Craig 49.7%, Ayotte 48.0% · New Hampshire: Ayotte 53.6%, Craig 44.3%
Most votes in the district: Maggie Goodlander
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Keene, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Keene | 65.9% | 32.3% | 1.8% | 12,955 |
| Cheshire County | 54.2% | 44.2% | 1.6% | 45,389 |
| 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
Keene sends 4 representatives to the New Hampshire House alone.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: ci.keene.nh.us ↗
- 2New Hampshire HouseKeene is split between 5 districts
- 3New Hampshire SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of New Hampshire
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Keene compares with the towns next door
Keene spent $2,102 per resident in 2022; the 3 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $365 to $917. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Surry | $365 | $6,384 |
| Roxbury | $733 | $5,787 |
| Gilsum | $917 | $5,579 |
| Swanzey | estimate | $5,558 |
| Westmoreland | estimate | $6,643 |
| Sullivan | estimate | $5,099 |
| Marlborough | estimate | $6,362 |
| Keene | $2,102 | $6,812 |
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 Keene’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Keene’s government
How much does Keene spend per resident?
About $2,259 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 $2,102 was more than 90% of 1205 U.S. cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Keene?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $6,812 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 2.70% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.66% across New Hampshire. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see ci.keene.nh.us.
Who runs Keene’s government?
See ci.keene.nh.us for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Keene yet.
How did Keene vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 65.9%, Donald J Trump 32.3% (12,955 votes, official results). Cheshire County: Harris 54.2%, Trump 44.2%. New Hampshire: Harris 50.7%, Trump 47.9%.
How many people work for Keene?
240 full-time and 99 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $2.2M (about $26.0M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Keene in the state legislature?
Keene is split among 5 State House districts, so your address decides. The New Hampshire Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Its State Senate district is District 10 (Donovan Fenton). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
When is the next public meeting in Keene?
The next posted meeting is City Council on Thursday, November 5, at 7:00 pm, from the city’s own agenda portal.
Ask neighbors about Keene’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 →