Photo: Thomas R Machnitzki ([email protected]) · CC BY 3.0Somerville spent more per resident in 2022 than 72% of similar cities
Somerville’s town government spent $3.6 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $1,096 per resident. Water and other utilities ($6.9 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Somerville is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$1,096 per resident in 2022: more than 72% of them
Somerville’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,096 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 43 Tennessee cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $698, and the middle half spent $418–$1,168. Somerville spent more than 72% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($1.3 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 →
Tennessee cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Somerville itself left out).
About $1,096 per resident a year, or $3.00 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 37%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Somerville reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $975 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.31% of the home’s value, vs 0.50% across Tennessee.
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 town posts agendas and minutes on somervilletn.org ↗.
One full-time town employee for every 66 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 (3,248).
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.
Fayette County School District
Somerville’s K–12 school district, shared with Braden, Gallaway, La Grange, Moscow, Oakland and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $12,172 per pupil, $6,057 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.
Tennessee districts overall: 40% local, 44% state, 16% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Somerville’s votes are counted by county
Tennessee reports official results by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Somerville alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Fayette County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican70.7%16,756 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat28.4%6,720 votesOthers: 0.9% (220 votes).
Most votes in Fayette County: Donald J Trump
Tennessee: Trump 64.2%, Harris 34.5%
100% of Somerville lies in Fayette County. Every 2024 race in Fayette County is on the county’s page.
Fayette County’s 2024 results →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 Somerville.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: somervilletn.org ↗
- 2Tennessee HouseState representatives
- 3Tennessee SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Tennessee
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
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 $1,096 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,096 was more than 72% of 43 Tennessee cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Somerville?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $975 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.31% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.50% across Tennessee. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see somervilletn.org.
Who runs Somerville’s government?
See somervilletn.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Somerville yet.
How did Somerville vote in 2024?
Tennessee counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Somerville alone. Fayette County, where 100% of Somerville lies, voted Trump 70.7%, Harris 28.4% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Somerville?
49 full-time and 14 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $205,666 (about $2.5M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Somerville in the state legislature?
State Senate District 26 (Page Walley) and State House District 94 (Ron Gant). The House district also covers 21 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 →