Photo: User:Magicpiano · CC BY-SA 4.0Kensington spent less per resident in 2022 than 97% of similar towns
Kensington’s town government spent $2.3 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2023, about $1,093 per resident.
In 123 days
Most NH towns vote that day. Check Kensington’s site for its own date.
What stands out about how Kensington is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$389 per resident in 2022: less than 97% of them
Kensington’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($389 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 59 New Hampshire towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,026, and the middle half spent $774–$1,462. Kensington spent less than 97% 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 under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Kensington itself left out).
About $1,093 per resident a year, or $2.99 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 28%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Revenue is well above spending. That usually means Kensington collects property taxes for the school district and county and passes them on, so only its own spending is counted.
Day-to-day spending is up 182% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Kensington 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: $389 · 2023: $1,093.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $9,637 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.47% 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 Kensington’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. In a town this small the estimate has a wide margin.
Tax bills are one input to Kensington’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Kensington →
Most New Hampshire towns vote on March 9, 2027
Check Kensington’s own dates: some towns hold the business session on another day or vote by ballot (SB2).
Kensington’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 Kensington’s site for its warrant and dates.
Who’s in charge in Kensington
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time town employee for every 210 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 (2,096).
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.
Exeter Regional Cooperative School District
Kensington’s middle and high school district, shared with Brentwood, East Kingston, Exeter, Newfields, Stratham. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $27,395 per pupil, $18,191 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.
Kensington School District · $28,636 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
How Kensington voted in 2024
Official results for Kensington’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat50.4%798 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican48.0%760 votesOthers: 1.5% (24 votes).
Most votes in Kensington: Kamala D Harris
Rockingham County: Trump 50.5%, Harris 48.1% · New Hampshire: Harris 50.7%, Trump 47.9%
of Kensington’s 1,657 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across New Hampshire: 74%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Kensington: Kelly Ayotte
Rockingham County: Ayotte 56.9%, Craig 41.2% · New Hampshire: Ayotte 53.6%, Craig 44.3%
Most votes in the district: Chris Pappas
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Kensington, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kensington | 50.4% | 48.0% | 1.5% | 1,582 |
| Rockingham County | 48.1% | 50.5% | 1.4% | 202,922 |
| 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 Kensington.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: town.kensington.nh.us ↗
- 2New Hampshire House2 districts, 2 seatsRockingham 191 seat, shared with Hampton FallsRockingham 361 seat, a floterial district shared with Hampton Falls, Newton, Plaistow and South HamptonMember 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 Kensington compares with the towns next door
Kensington spent $389 per resident in 2022; the 2 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $1,024 to $1,140. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Hampton Falls | $1,024 | $10,000+ |
| South Hampton | $1,140 | $9,109 |
| East Kingston | estimate | $9,604 |
| Exeter | estimate | $8,814 |
| Kensington | $389 | $9,637 |
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 Kensington’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Kensington’s government
How much does Kensington spend per resident?
About $1,093 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 $389 was less than 97% of 59 New Hampshire towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Kensington?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $9,637 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.47% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.66% across New Hampshire. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see town.kensington.nh.us.
Who runs Kensington’s government?
See town.kensington.nh.us for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Kensington yet.
How did Kensington vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 50.4%, Donald J Trump 48.0% (1,582 votes, official results). Rockingham County: Trump 50.5%, Harris 48.1%. New Hampshire: Harris 50.7%, Trump 47.9%.
How many people work for Kensington?
10 full-time and 13 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $75,321 (about $903,852 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Kensington in the state legislature?
State Senate District 23 (Bill Gannon); State House Rockingham 19 (1 seat, shared with Hampton Falls) and Rockingham 36 (1 floterial seat shared with Hampton Falls, Newton, Plaistow and South Hampton). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
When is town meeting in Kensington?
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 town.kensington.nh.us for Kensington’s own dates.
Ask neighbors about Kensington’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 →