Photo: Fletcher6 · CC BY-SA 3.0Wakefield spent less per resident in 2022 than 96% of similar towns
Wakefield’s town government spent $3.5 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, about $649 per resident.
In 125 days
Most NH towns vote that day. Check Wakefield’s site for its own date.
What stands out about how Wakefield is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$619 per resident in 2022: less than 96% of them
Wakefield’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($619 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. Wakefield spent less than 96% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($718,000), 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; Wakefield itself left out).
About $649 per resident a year, or $1.78 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 27%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Revenue is well above spending. That usually means Wakefield 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 12% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Wakefield 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: $619 · 2024: $649. Per resident it went from $619 to $649 (up 5%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 5,122 to 5,459.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $2,954 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.92% 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 Wakefield’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 Wakefield’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Wakefield →
Most New Hampshire towns vote on March 9, 2027
Check Wakefield’s own dates: some towns hold the business session on another day or vote by ballot (SB2).
Wakefield’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 Wakefield’s site for its warrant and dates.
Who’s in charge in Wakefield
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time town employee for every 124 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 (5,459).
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.
Wakefield School District
Wakefield’s elementary school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $22,114 per pupil, $13,930 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 Wakefield voted in 2024
Official results for Wakefield’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Donald J TrumpRepublican63.4%2,239 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat35.6%1,258 votesOthers: 1.0% (36 votes).
Most votes in Wakefield: Donald J Trump
Carroll County: Trump 50.3%, Harris 48.5% · New Hampshire: Harris 50.7%, Trump 47.9%
of Wakefield’s 4,388 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across New Hampshire: 74%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Wakefield: Kelly Ayotte
Carroll County: Ayotte 55.9%, Craig 42.2% · New Hampshire: Ayotte 53.6%, Craig 44.3%
Most votes in the district: Chris Pappas
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Wakefield, its county and the state
| Trump | Harris | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wakefield | 63.4% | 35.6% | 1.0% | 3,533 |
| Carroll County | 50.3% | 48.5% | 1.2% | 34,658 |
| 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 Wakefield.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: wakefieldnh.com ↗
- 2New Hampshire House2 districts, 4 seatsCarroll 42 seats, shared with Brookfield, Eaton, Effingham and FreedomCarroll 82 seats, a floterial district shared with Brookfield, Eaton, Effingham, Freedom, Madison, Moultonborough and TamworthMember 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 Wakefield compares with the towns next door
Wakefield spent $619 per resident in 2022; the 2 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $703 to $1,325. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Brookfield | $703 | $5,926 |
| Effingham | $1,325 | $5,163 |
| Milton | estimate | $5,663 |
| Ossipee | estimate | $4,401 |
| Middleton | estimate | $5,504 |
| Wakefield | $619 | $2,954 |
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 Wakefield’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Wakefield’s government
How much does Wakefield spend per resident?
About $649 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $619 was less than 96% 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 Wakefield?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,954 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.92% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.66% across New Hampshire. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see wakefieldnh.com.
Who runs Wakefield’s government?
See wakefieldnh.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Wakefield yet.
How did Wakefield vote in 2024?
For president, Donald J Trump 63.4%, Kamala D Harris 35.6% (3,533 votes, official results). Carroll County: Trump 50.3%, Harris 48.5%. New Hampshire: Harris 50.7%, Trump 47.9%.
How many people work for Wakefield?
44 full-time and 23 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $226,308 (about $2.7M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Wakefield in the state legislature?
State Senate District 3 (Mark McConkey); State House Carroll 4 (2 seats, shared with Brookfield, Eaton, Effingham and Freedom) and Carroll 8 (2 floterial seats shared with Brookfield, Eaton, Effingham, Freedom, Madison, Moultonborough and Tamworth). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
When is town meeting in Wakefield?
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 wakefieldnh.com for Wakefield’s own dates.
Ask neighbors about Wakefield’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 →