Photo: Freeholdman12 · CC BY 4.0Somerville spent more per resident in 2022 than 80% of similar cities
Somerville’s borough government spent $18.5 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $1,521 per resident.
What stands out about how Somerville is run
Read from the borough’s budget and official records.
$1,521 per resident in 2022: more than 80% of them
Somerville’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,521 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 45 New Jersey cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,189, and the middle half spent $1,010–$1,440. Somerville spent more than 80% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($1.1 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 →
New Jersey cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Somerville itself left out).
About $1,521 per resident a year, or $4.17 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 30%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Revenue is well above spending. That usually means Somerville collects property taxes for the school district and county and passes them on, so only its own spending is counted.
No trend yet
Somerville reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
Typical bills top $10,000 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Somerville’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 Somerville’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Somerville →
Who’s in charge in Somerville
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Somerville’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The borough posts agendas and minutes on somervillenj.org ↗.
One full-time borough employee for every 184 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (12,157).
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.
Somerville Borough School District
Somerville’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $27,317 per pupil, $17,099 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 Jersey districts overall: 48% local, 46% state, 6% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for Somerville.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: somervillenj.org ↗
- 2New Jersey General AssemblyState representatives
- 3New Jersey SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of New Jersey
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Somerville compares with the towns next door
Somerville spent $1,521 per resident in 2022; the neighbor that reported 2022 spent $832. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Bridgewater Township | $832 | $10,000+ |
| Hillsborough Township | estimate | $10,000+ |
| Raritan | estimate | $9,024 |
| Somerville | $1,521 | $10,000+ |
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 Somerville’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Somerville’s government
How much does Somerville spend per resident?
About $1,521 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,521 was more than 80% of 45 New Jersey cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.
Who runs Somerville’s government?
See somervillenj.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Somerville yet.
How many people work for Somerville?
66 full-time and 17 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $579,818 (about $7.0M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Somerville in the state legislature?
State Senate District 23 (Doug Steinhardt) and General Assembly District 23 (Erik Peterson and John DiMaio). The General Assembly district also covers 37 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Somerville’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); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →