Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0Manchester spent less per resident in 2022 than 95% of similar cities
Manchester’s city government spent $421.9 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $3,664 per resident. Water and other utilities ($30.7 million) and the airport ($30 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Manchester is run
Read from the city’s budget, meetings and official records.
3 upcoming meetings at town hall
From Manchester’s own agenda portal, checked daily. Agendas can change up to the meeting, so check before you go.
- Nov17Board of Mayor and AldermenTuesday · 7:00 pm · One City Hall PlazaMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Dec1Board of Mayor and AldermenTuesday · 7:00 pm · One City Hall PlazaMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Dec15Board of Mayor and AldermenTuesday · 7:00 pm · One City Hall PlazaMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
Recent meetings
- Oct23GeneralFriday · 4:45 pm · 1 City Hall PlazaBoard of RegistrarsAgenda ↗Minutes ↗Meeting page ↗
- Oct20Board of Mayor and AldermenTuesday · 7:00 pm · One City Hall PlazaCommittee on FinanceAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Oct20Board of Mayor and AldermenTuesday · 7:00 pm · One City Hall PlazaAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Oct20Board of Mayor and AldermenTuesday · 6:30 pm · One City Hall PlazaCommittee on Administration/Information SystemsAgenda ↗Minutes ↗Meeting page ↗
- Oct20Board of Mayor and AldermenTuesday · 6:00 pm · One City Hall PlazaCommittee on Lands and BuildingsAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
Most meetings are open to the public, and many have a public comment period at the start.
Agenda portal ↗About $3,664 per resident a year, or $10.04 a day
Schools are part of the city’s budget, so they lead the receipt: 55% of day-to-day spending.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Manchester runs its own schools, so school spending is part of this budget. Comparisons are with U.S. cities of 100,000–249,999 that run their own schools.
$3,388 per resident in 2022: less than 95% of them
Manchester’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($3,388 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 20 U.S. cities of 100,000–249,999 that run their own schools: the median was $5,131, and the middle half spent $4,398–$5,764. Manchester spent less than 95% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($10.1 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 →
U.S. cities of 100,000–249,999 that run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Manchester itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is up 11% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Manchester 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: $3,388 · 2023: $3,557 · 2024: $3,664.
full-time in March 2025, up from 2,784 in 2022.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $5,922 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.62% 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 Manchester’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 Manchester’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Manchester →
Who’s in charge in Manchester
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time city employee for every 38 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (115,141).
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.
Manchester School District
Manchester’s K–12 school district. The schools are run by Manchester, so this money is part of the budget above.
Of the $19,453 per pupil, $12,543 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 Manchester voted in 2024
Official results for Manchester’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat53.1%27,729 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican45.4%23,745 votesOthers: 1.5% (784 votes).
Most votes in Manchester: Kamala D Harris
Hillsborough County: Harris 50.7%, Trump 47.8% · New Hampshire: Harris 50.7%, Trump 47.9%
of Manchester’s 88,189 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across New Hampshire: 74%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Manchester: Kelly Ayotte
Hillsborough County: Ayotte 54.5%, Craig 43.5% · New Hampshire: Ayotte 53.6%, Craig 44.3%
Most votes in the district: Chris Pappas
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Manchester, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manchester | 53.1% | 45.4% | 1.5% | 52,258 |
| Hillsborough County | 50.7% | 47.8% | 1.5% | 234,440 |
| 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
Manchester sends 23 representatives to the New Hampshire House alone.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: manchesternh.gov ↗
- 2New Hampshire HouseManchester is split between 12 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 Manchester compares with the towns next door
No neighbor is close in size, so the comparison above uses U.S. cities of 100,000–249,999 that run their own schools. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Litchfield | $725 | $8,273 |
| Merrimack | $1,098 | $7,345 |
| Londonderry | $1,283 | $8,069 |
| Hooksett | $1,371 | $6,554 |
| Bedford | estimate | $9,803 |
| Auburn | estimate | $8,092 |
| Goffstown | estimate | $6,941 |
| Manchester | $3,388 | $5,922 |
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 Manchester’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Manchester’s government
How much does Manchester spend per resident?
About $3,664 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 $3,388 was less than 95% of 20 U.S. cities of 100,000–249,999 that run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Manchester?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $5,922 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.62% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.66% across New Hampshire. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see manchesternh.gov.
Who runs Manchester’s government?
See manchesternh.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Manchester yet.
How did Manchester vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 53.1%, Donald J Trump 45.4% (52,258 votes, official results). Hillsborough County: Harris 50.7%, Trump 47.8%. New Hampshire: Harris 50.7%, Trump 47.9%.
How many people work for Manchester?
3,019 full-time and 363 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $20.1M (about $241.8M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Manchester in the state legislature?
Manchester is split among 12 State House districts and 3 State Senate districts, so your address decides. The New Hampshire Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
When is the next public meeting in Manchester?
The next posted meeting is Board of Mayor and Aldermen on Tuesday, November 17, at 7:00 pm in One City Hall Plaza, from the city’s own agenda portal.
Ask neighbors about Manchester’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 →