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German Presbyterian Church and Hortonville CemeteryGerman Presbyterian Church and Hortonville Cemetery · Photo: Vonsky87 · CC BY-SA 3.0
Town Hall · Delaware

Delaware spent more per resident in 2022 than 92% of similar towns

Delaware’s town government spent $2.3 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $877 per resident. Water and other utilities ($140,000) are counted separately.

Election Day

Tomorrow

General election in New York.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$2.3M
year to December 31, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$877
In 2022: $877, more than 92% of 321 similar towns
Long-term debt
$185,000
end of 2022, reported
Town staff, 2022
15
full-time · 12 part-time · March payroll $91,893
Typical tax bill
$4,989
2.19% of home value · NY 1.55%

What stands out about how Delaware is run

Read from the town’s budget and official records.

Compared with similar places

$877 per resident in 2022: more than 92% of them

Delaware’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($877 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 321 New York towns and townships of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $458, and the middle half spent $340–$617. Delaware spent more than 92% of them.

Middle half of the group, $340–$617Median $458Delaware

Includes sewer and trash ($228,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →

The group
321

New York towns and townships of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Delaware itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $877 per resident a year, or $2.40 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 40%.

Where the money comes from
Property taxes 59%From the state 10%Interest, fines & other 9%Fees & charges 7%Other taxes & licenses 5%Utility sales 5%From other local governments 3%Sales taxes 2%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $692,000; interest on debt $8,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $3.1 million.
About “Other”.26% of Delaware’s day-to-day spending ($577,000) is filed by the Census Bureau outside the named functions above, so the receipt can’t say what it buys.
Over the years

No trend yet

Delaware reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $4,989 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 2.19% of the home’s value, vs 1.55% across New York.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

New York$6,582
Cochecton$5,588
Jeffersonville$5,000
Delaware$4,989
Callicoon$4,931
Bethel$4,442
Fremont$4,410
Manchester Township$4,182
Damascus Township$3,504
$4,989
typical bill a year
2.19%
effective rate
$227,300
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Delaware’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 Delaware’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Delaware →

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Delaware

Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.

Check Delaware’s own website for current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Delaware yet.
Who works for Delaware

One full-time town employee for every 171 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 (2,566).

By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022

Roads & transportation9
Administration & buildings5 + 7 pt
Courts, inspections & corrections0 + 4 pt
Water & other utilities1
Other0 + 1 pt
15
full-time
12
part-time
$91,893
payroll for March 2022
$1.1M
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$64,400
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
Compared, 2022.Delaware had 5.8 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 250 of the 321 New York towns and townships of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 2.2: Delaware had more than 94% of them. Same group and year as the budget comparison.

The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.

The school district

Sullivan West Central School District

Delaware’s K–12 school district, shared with Cochecton, Jeffersonville, Tusten, Callicoon, Fremont and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Delaware →
$32,808
per pupil · NY $34,607
1,104
students
None
long-term debt

Of the $32,808 per pupil, $19,876 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.

The district: schools, scores and graduation →

Where the district’s money comes from
Local 51%State 45%Federal 4%

New York districts overall: 51% local, 41% state, 8% federal.

School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.

Elections · 2024 general election

How Delaware voted in 2024

Official results for Delaware’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.

President1,285 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican51.4%661 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat48.2%620 votes

Others: 0.3% (4 votes).

Most votes in Delaware: Donald J Trump

Sullivan County: Trump 58.1%, Harris 41.5% · New York: Harris 55.9%, Trump 43.3%

Turnout
69%

of Delaware’s 1,866 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across New York: 59%.

Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).

U.S. Senate1,251 votes
Kirsten E GillibrandDemocrat51.6%
Michael D SapraiconeRepublican47.8%
Others0.6%

Most votes in Delaware: Kirsten E Gillibrand

Sullivan County: Sapraicone 51.8%, Gillibrand 47.7% · New York: Gillibrand 58.8%, Sapraicone 40.5%

U.S. House · New York’s 19th District377,127 votes
Josh RileyDemocrat51.1%
Marcus MolinaroRepublican48.9%
Others0.1%

Most votes in the district: Josh Riley

Whole-district result

President, 2024: Delaware, its county and the state

TrumpHarrisOthersVotes
Delaware51.4%48.2%0.3%1,285
Sullivan County58.1%41.5%0.4%35,062
New York43.3%55.9%0.8%8,262,600
DemocratRepublicanLibertarianIndependent / other

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.

Who represents Delaware

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Delaware.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your townTown government
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  2. 2
    New York AssemblyState representatives
  3. 3
    New York SenateState senator
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of New York

Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.

Next door

How Delaware compares with the towns next door

Delaware spent $877 per resident in 2022; the 4 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $725 to $1,244. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.

Spends the leastSpends the mostEstimate or no figures
TownDay-to-day, per resident (2022)Tax bill
Callicoon$725$4,931
Jeffersonville$735$5,000
Cochecton$1,165$5,588
Bethel$1,244$4,442
Fremontestimate$4,410
Delaware$877$4,989

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 Delaware’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Delaware’s government

How much does Delaware spend per resident?

About $877 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 $877 was more than 92% of 321 New York towns and townships of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Delaware?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $4,989 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 2.19% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.55% across New York. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the town’s assessor.

Who runs Delaware’s government?

We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Delaware yet.

How did Delaware vote in 2024?

For president, Donald J Trump 51.4%, Kamala D Harris 48.2% (1,285 votes, official results). Sullivan County: Trump 58.1%, Harris 41.5%. New York: Harris 55.9%, Trump 43.3%.

How many people work for Delaware?

15 full-time and 12 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $91,893 (about $1.1M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Delaware in the state legislature?

State Senate District 51 (Peter Oberacker) and Assembly District 100 (Paula Kay). The Assembly district also covers 19 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Delaware’s government

Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.

Town Square →
Ask neighbors

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 →