Photo: Robert Justin Close · CC BY-SA 4.0Essex spent more per resident in 2022 than 91% of similar towns
Essex’s town government spent $1.1 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $1,730 per resident. Water and other utilities ($35,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Essex is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$1,730 per resident in 2022: more than 91% of them
Essex’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,730 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 368 New York towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $662, and the middle half spent $490–$958. Essex spent more than 91% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($161,000), 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 York towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Essex itself left out).
About $1,730 per resident a year, or $4.74 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 34%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Essex reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $3,888 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.40% of the home’s value, vs 1.55% across New York.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Essex’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 Essex’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Essex →
Who’s in charge in Essex
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time town employee for every 70 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 (630).
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.
Willsboro Central School District
Essex’s K–12 school district, shared with Willsboro. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $32,178 per pupil, $19,361 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 York districts overall: 51% local, 41% state, 8% federal.
Boquet Valley Central School District at Elizabethtown-Lewis-Westport · $38,152 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
How Essex voted in 2024
Official results for Essex’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat67.8%276 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican30.7%125 votesOthers: 1.5% (6 votes).
Most votes in Essex: Kamala D Harris
Essex County: Harris 50.1%, Trump 49.6% · New York: Harris 55.9%, Trump 43.3%
of Essex’s 585 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across New York: 59%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Essex: Kirsten E Gillibrand
Essex County: Gillibrand 54.4%, Sapraicone 45.3% · New York: Gillibrand 58.8%, Sapraicone 40.5%
Most votes in the district: Elise M Stefanik
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Essex, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essex | 67.8% | 30.7% | 1.5% | 407 |
| Essex County | 50.1% | 49.6% | 0.4% | 19,236 |
| New York | 55.9% | 43.3% | 0.8% | 8,262,600 |
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 Essex.
- 1Your townTown governmentLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 2New York AssemblyState representatives
- 3New York SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of New York
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Essex compares with the towns next door
Essex spent $1,730 per resident in 2022; the 3 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $657 to $1,242. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
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 Essex’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Essex’s government
How much does Essex spend per resident?
About $1,730 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 $1,730 was more than 91% of 368 New York towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Essex?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,888 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.40% 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 Essex’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Essex yet.
How did Essex vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 67.8%, Donald J Trump 30.7% (407 votes, official results). Essex County: Harris 50.1%, Trump 49.6%. New York: Harris 55.9%, Trump 43.3%.
How many people work for Essex?
9 full-time and 16 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $46,712 (about $560,544 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Essex in the state legislature?
State Senate District 45 (Dan Stec) and Assembly District 114 (Matt Simpson). The Assembly district also covers 48 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Essex’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 →