Photo: Ascended Dreamer · CC BY-SA 4.0Lancaster spent more per resident in 2022 than 74% of similar towns
Lancaster’s town government spent $5.7 million on day-to-day services in the year to January 31, 2024, about $1,770 per resident. Water and other utilities ($579,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Lancaster is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$1,200 per resident in 2022: more than 74% of them
Lancaster’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,200 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–$1,202. Lancaster spent more than 74% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($796,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
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; Lancaster itself left out).
About $1,770 per resident a year, or $4.85 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: health & welfare, at 28%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 48% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Lancaster 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: $1,200 · 2024: $1,770.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $4,226 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.96% 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 Lancaster’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 Lancaster’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Lancaster →
Most New Hampshire towns vote on March 9, 2027
Check Lancaster’s own dates: some towns hold the business session on another day or vote by ballot (SB2).
Lancaster’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 Lancaster’s site for its warrant and dates.
Who’s in charge in Lancaster
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time town employee for every 108 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 (3,241).
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.
White Mountain Regional School District
Lancaster’s K–12 school district, shared with Carroll, Dalton, Jefferson, Whitefield. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $25,693 per pupil, $13,327 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 Lancaster voted in 2024
Official results for Lancaster’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Donald J TrumpRepublican54.2%977 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat44.2%798 votesOthers: 1.6% (29 votes).
Most votes in Lancaster: Donald J Trump
Coos County: Trump 56.2%, Harris 42.5% · New Hampshire: Harris 50.7%, Trump 47.9%
of Lancaster’s 2,511 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across New Hampshire: 74%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Lancaster: Kelly Ayotte
Coos County: Ayotte 59.6%, Craig 37.7% · New Hampshire: Ayotte 53.6%, Craig 44.3%
Most votes in the district: Maggie Goodlander
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Lancaster, its county and the state
| Trump | Harris | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lancaster | 54.2% | 44.2% | 1.6% | 1,804 |
| Coos County | 56.2% | 42.5% | 1.3% | 17,322 |
| New Hampshire | 47.9% | 50.7% | 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 Lancaster.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: lancasternh.org ↗
- 2New Hampshire House1 districts, 2 seatsCoos 12 seats, shared with Dalton, Northumberland and Stratford
- 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 Lancaster compares with the towns next door
Lancaster spent $1,200 per resident in 2022; the 2 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $567 to $781. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Jefferson | $567 | $4,196 |
| Dalton | $781 | $3,561 |
| Northumberland | estimate | $2,794 |
| Lancaster | $1,200 | $4,226 |
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 Lancaster’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Lancaster’s government
How much does Lancaster spend per resident?
About $1,770 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to January 31, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,200 was more than 74% 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 Lancaster?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $4,226 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.96% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.66% across New Hampshire. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see lancasternh.org.
Who runs Lancaster’s government?
See lancasternh.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Lancaster yet.
How did Lancaster vote in 2024?
For president, Donald J Trump 54.2%, Kamala D Harris 44.2% (1,804 votes, official results). Coos County: Trump 56.2%, Harris 42.5%. New Hampshire: Harris 50.7%, Trump 47.9%.
How many people work for Lancaster?
30 full-time and 74 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $190,351 (about $2.3M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Lancaster in the state legislature?
State Senate District 1 (David Rochefort); State House Coos 1 (2 seats, shared with Dalton, Northumberland and Stratford). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
When is town meeting in Lancaster?
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 lancasternh.org for Lancaster’s own dates.
Ask neighbors about Lancaster’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 →