Jonathan Wallace House · Photo: Mwanner · CC BY-SA 3.0Potsdam spent less per resident in 2022 than 92% of similar towns
Potsdam’s town government spent $3.9 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, about $261 per resident.
What stands out about how Potsdam is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$228 per resident in 2022: less than 92% of them
Potsdam’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($228 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 83 New York towns and townships of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $547, and the middle half spent $378–$826. Potsdam spent less than 92% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($22,000), 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 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Potsdam itself left out).
About $261 per resident a year, or $0.72 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 33%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 13% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Potsdam 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: $228 · 2024: $261.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $4,032 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 2.81% 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 Potsdam’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 Potsdam’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Potsdam →
Who’s in charge in Potsdam
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time town employee for every 788 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 (14,964).
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.
Potsdam Central School District
Potsdam’s K–12 school district, shared with Potsdam. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $26,329 per pupil, $17,696 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.
Norwood-Norfolk Central School District · $26,782 per pupil
Madrid-Waddington Central School District · $27,730 per pupil
Canton Central School District · $29,340 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
How Potsdam voted in 2024
Official results for Potsdam’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat56.7%2,879 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican42.4%2,149 votesOthers: 0.9% (46 votes).
Most votes in Potsdam: Kamala D Harris
St. Lawrence County: Trump 58.7%, Harris 40.8% · New York: Harris 55.9%, Trump 43.3%
of Potsdam’s 12,028 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across New York: 59%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Potsdam: Kirsten E Gillibrand
St. Lawrence County: Sapraicone 53.8%, Gillibrand 45.8% · New York: Gillibrand 58.8%, Sapraicone 40.5%
Most votes in the district: Elise M Stefanik
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Potsdam, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Potsdam | 56.7% | 42.4% | 0.9% | 5,074 |
| St. Lawrence County | 40.8% | 58.7% | 0.5% | 44,168 |
| 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 Potsdam.
- 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 Potsdam compares with the towns next door
Potsdam spent $228 per resident in 2022; the 5 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $205 to $1,092. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Canton | $205 | $4,308 |
| Stockholm | $418 | $3,468 |
| Norfolk | $446 | $2,270 |
| Madrid | $816 | $2,993 |
| Parishville | $1,092 | $2,290 |
| Pierrepont | estimate | $2,898 |
| Potsdam | $228 | $4,032 |
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 Potsdam’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Potsdam’s government
How much does Potsdam spend per resident?
About $261 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 $228 was less than 92% of 83 New York towns and townships of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Potsdam?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $4,032 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 2.81% 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 Potsdam’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Potsdam yet.
How did Potsdam vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 56.7%, Donald J Trump 42.4% (5,074 votes, official results). St. Lawrence County: Trump 58.7%, Harris 40.8%. New York: Harris 55.9%, Trump 43.3%.
How many people work for Potsdam?
19 full-time and 11 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $133,170 (about $1.6M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Potsdam in the state legislature?
State Senate District 45 (Dan Stec) and Assembly District 116 (Scott Gray). The Assembly district also covers 46 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Potsdam’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 →