Photo: Maximilian Schönherr · CC BY-SA 3.0How is Berlin run?
Berlin’s town government spent $2.6 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $920 per resident. That is its newest year reported to the Census Bureau. Water and other utilities ($350,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Berlin is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
About $920 per resident a year, or $2.52 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 48%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Revenue is well above spending. That usually means Berlin collects property taxes for the school district and county and passes them on, so only its own spending is counted.
$920 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar towns
Berlin’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($920 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 24 Vermont towns and townships of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,077, and the middle half spent $719–$1,428. Berlin spent less than 62% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($445,000), 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 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Berlin itself left out).
No trend yet
Berlin reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau (2024 is an estimate), so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $4,418 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.61% 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 Berlin’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 Berlin’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Berlin →
Most Vermont towns vote on March 2, 2027
Check Berlin’s own dates: some towns hold the business session on another day or vote by ballot (SB2).
Berlin’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 Berlin’s site for its warrant and dates.
Who’s in charge in Berlin
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time town employee for every 164 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 (2,783).
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.
Washington Central Unified Union School District 92
Berlin’s K–12 school district, shared with Calais, East Montpelier, Middlesex, Worcester. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $30,402 per pupil, $16,572 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.
How Berlin voted in 2024
Official results for Berlin’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat63.6%989 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican32.4%504 votesOthers: 4.0% (62 votes).
Most votes in Berlin: Kamala D Harris
Washington County: Harris 69.3%, Trump 26.4% · Vermont: Harris 63.8%, Trump 32.3%
of Berlin’s 2,380 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Vermont: 71%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Berlin: Bernie Sanders
Washington County: Sanders 68.8%, Malloy 27.0% · Vermont: Sanders 63.2%, Malloy 32.1%
Most votes in Berlin: Phil Scott
Washington County: Scott 71.4%, Charlestin 24.1% · Vermont: Scott 73.4%, Charlestin 21.8%
Most votes in the district: Becca Balint
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Berlin, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berlin | 63.6% | 32.4% | 4.0% | 1,555 |
| Washington County | 69.3% | 26.4% | 4.3% | 35,369 |
| Vermont | 63.8% | 32.3% | 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 Berlin.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: berlinvt.gov ↗
- 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 Berlin compares with the towns next door
Berlin spent $920 per resident in 2022; the 6 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $454 to $2,303. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Middlesex | $454 | $6,483 |
| East Montpelier | $565 | $5,868 |
| Barre | $989 | $4,737 |
| Moretown | $1,457 | $5,506 |
| Barre | $1,603 | $5,192 |
| Montpelier | $2,303 | $6,936 |
| Northfield | estimate | $4,878 |
| Williamstown | estimate | $3,841 |
| Berlin | $920 | $4,418 |
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 Berlin’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Berlin’s government
How much does Berlin spend per resident?
About $920 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 $920 was less than 62% of 24 Vermont towns and townships of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Berlin?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $4,418 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.61% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.59% across Vermont. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see berlinvt.gov.
Who runs Berlin’s government?
See berlinvt.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Berlin yet.
How did Berlin vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 63.6%, Donald J Trump 32.4% (1,555 votes, official results). Washington County: Harris 69.3%, Trump 26.4%. Vermont: Harris 63.8%, Trump 32.3%.
How many people work for Berlin?
17 full-time and 3 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $109,886 (about $1.3M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Berlin in the state legislature?
State Senate District Washington (Andrew Perchlik, Ann Cummings and Anne Watson) and State House District Washington-1 (Anne Donahue and Kenneth Goslant). The House district also covers 1 neighboring town. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
When is town meeting in Berlin?
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 berlinvt.gov for Berlin’s own dates.
Ask neighbors about Berlin’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 →