Mountain View Stock Farm · Photo: Magicpiano · CC BY-SA 3.0In Benson, 97% of adult citizens voted for president in 2024, more than across Vermont
Benson’s town government spent $1.2 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $1,234 per resident.
What stands out about how Benson is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
Slate Valley Unified Union School District 62
Benson’s K–12 school district, shared with Castleton, Fair Haven, Hubbardton, Orwell, West Haven. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $26,281 per pupil, $13,301 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.
Vermont districts overall: 5% local, 89% state, 6% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
About $1,234 per resident a year, or $3.38 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 66%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Revenue is well above spending. That usually means Benson collects property taxes for the school district and county and passes them on, so only its own spending is counted.
$990 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar towns
Benson’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($990 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 83 Vermont towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $936, and the middle half spent $600–$1,274. Benson spent more than 55% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($107,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Vermont towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Benson itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is up 22% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Benson 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: $990 · 2024: $1,234.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $4,125 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.70% of the home’s value, vs 1.59% across Vermont.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Benson’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 Benson’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Benson →
Most Vermont towns vote on March 2, 2027
Check Benson’s own dates: some towns hold the business session on another day or vote by ballot (SB2).
Benson’s meetings aren’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on its website.
Town website ↗Vermont’s Town Meeting Day is the first Tuesday in March, when towns vote on budgets and elect officers.
Some towns hold the business session on another day, and some vote by ballot (SB2). Check Benson’s site for its warrant and dates.
Who’s in charge in Benson
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time town employee for every 485 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 (970).
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.
How Benson voted in 2024
Official results for Benson’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Donald J TrumpRepublican56.2%357 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat39.2%249 votesOthers: 4.6% (29 votes).
Most votes in Benson: Donald J Trump
Rutland County: Harris 51.0%, Trump 45.7% · Vermont: Harris 63.8%, Trump 32.3%
of Benson’s 655 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Vermont: 71%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Benson: Gerald Malloy
Rutland County: Sanders 50.1%, Malloy 44.7% · Vermont: Sanders 63.2%, Malloy 32.1%
Most votes in Benson: Phil Scott
Rutland County: Scott 79.8%, Charlestin 14.8% · Vermont: Scott 73.4%, Charlestin 21.8%
Most votes in the district: Becca Balint
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Benson, its county and the state
| Trump | Harris | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benson | 56.2% | 39.2% | 4.6% | 635 |
| Rutland County | 45.7% | 51.0% | 3.3% | 34,102 |
| Vermont | 32.3% | 63.8% | 3.9% | 369,422 |
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 Benson.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: benson-vt.com ↗
- 2Vermont HouseState representatives
- 3Vermont SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Vermont
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Benson compares with the towns next door
Benson spent $990 per resident in 2022; the neighbor that reported 2022 spent $1,025. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Castleton | $1,025 | $3,167 |
| Orwell | estimate | $3,914 |
| West Haven | estimate | $4,485 |
| Fair Haven | estimate | $3,865 |
| Benson | $990 | $4,125 |
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 Benson’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Benson’s government
How much does Benson spend per resident?
About $1,234 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $990 was more than 55% of 83 Vermont towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Benson?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $4,125 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.70% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.59% across Vermont. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see benson-vt.com.
Who runs Benson’s government?
See benson-vt.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Benson yet.
How did Benson vote in 2024?
For president, Donald J Trump 56.2%, Kamala D Harris 39.2% (635 votes, official results). Rutland County: Harris 51.0%, Trump 45.7%. Vermont: Harris 63.8%, Trump 32.3%.
How many people work for Benson?
2 full-time and 13 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $16,010 (about $192,120 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Benson in the state legislature?
State Senate District Rutland (Brian Collamore, Dave Weeks and Terry Williams) and State House District Rutland-10 (Bill Canfield). The House district also covers two neighboring towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
When is town meeting in Benson?
Most Vermont towns vote on the first Tuesday in March (March 2, 2027). Some hold the business session on another day or vote by ballot (SB2), so check benson-vt.com for Benson’s own dates.
Ask neighbors about Benson’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 →