Photo: Carol M. Highsmith · Public domainBurlington spent more per resident in 2022 than 94% of similar cities
Burlington’s city government spent $100 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $2,242 per resident. Water and other utilities ($64.4 million) and the airport ($21.4 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Burlington is run
Read from the city’s budget, meetings and official records.
6 upcoming meetings at town hall
From Burlington’s own agenda portal, checked daily. Agendas can change up to the meeting, so check before you go.
- Nov4Airport CommissionWednesday · 4:00 pm · 1200 Airport Drive, Third Floor Conference RoomAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov4Development Review BoardWednesday · 5:00 pm · 645 Pine StreetDevelopment Review Board MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov4Development Review BoardWednesday · 5:00 pm · 645 Pine StreetDevelopment Review Board MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov4Burlington Walk Bike CouncilWednesday · 5:30 pm · 645 Pine St, DPW Conference RoomAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov4Ward 3 NPAWednesday · 6:30 pm · City Hall, Sharon Bushor Conference Room (1st floor), 49 Church St, or Remotely via ZoomWard 3 NPA MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov6Ordinance CommitteeFriday · 2:00 pmCity Council - Ordinance Committee MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗Add to calendar
Recent meetings
- Nov2Housing Board of ReviewMonday · 6:30 pm · Front Conference Room, 645 Pine StreetHousing Board of Review MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Nov2Tax Fairness Ad Hoc CommitteeMonday · 6:00 pm · Sharon Bushor Conference Room, 1st floor City Hall, or Remotely via ZoomPublic Forum on Tax Fairness ProposalsAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Nov2Conservation BoardMonday · 5:30 pm · 311 North AveAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Nov2Conservation BoardMonday · 4:30 pm · 311 North AveOpen Space SubcommitteeAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Oct30GeneralFriday · 8:00 am · 136 South Winooski AvenueFire Commission - Special MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
Most meetings are open to the public, and many have a public comment period at the start.
Agenda portal ↗About $2,242 per resident a year, or $6.14 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 18%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,976 per resident in 2022: more than 94% of them
Burlington’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,976 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 18 Vermont cities that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,074, and the middle half spent $468–$1,506. Burlington spent more than 94% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($8.2 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 →
Vermont cities that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Burlington itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is up 18% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Burlington 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: $1,976 · 2023: $2,032 · 2024: $2,242.
full-time in March 2025, up from 577 in 2022.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $7,335 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.65% 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 Burlington’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 Burlington’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Burlington →
Who’s in charge in Burlington
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time city employee for every 68 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (44,595).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Burlington School District
Burlington’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $31,377 per pupil, $18,599 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 Burlington voted in 2024
Official results for Burlington’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat84.3%17,414 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican10.8%2,223 votesOthers: 5.0% (1,030 votes).
Most votes in Burlington: Kamala D Harris
Chittenden County: Harris 74.6%, Trump 21.5% · Vermont: Harris 63.8%, Trump 32.3%
of Burlington’s 38,600 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Vermont: 71%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Burlington: Bernie Sanders
Chittenden County: Sanders 73.3%, Malloy 23.0% · Vermont: Sanders 63.2%, Malloy 32.1%
Most votes in Burlington: Phil Scott
Chittenden County: Scott 69.2%, Charlestin 27.6% · Vermont: Scott 73.4%, Charlestin 21.8%
Most votes in the district: Becca Balint
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Burlington, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burlington | 84.3% | 10.8% | 5.0% | 20,667 |
| Chittenden County | 74.6% | 21.5% | 3.8% | 97,329 |
| 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
Burlington sends 11 representatives to the Vermont House alone.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: burlingtonvt.gov ↗
- 2Vermont HouseBurlington is split between 6 districts
- 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 Burlington compares with the towns next door
Burlington spent $1,976 per resident in 2022; the 3 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $1,092 to $1,599. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Colchester | $1,092 | $5,471 |
| South Burlington | $1,528 | $6,674 |
| Winooski | $1,599 | $6,802 |
| Burlington | $1,976 | $7,335 |
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 Burlington’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Burlington’s government
How much does Burlington spend per resident?
About $2,242 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 $1,976 was more than 94% of 18 Vermont cities that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Burlington?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $7,335 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.65% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.59% across Vermont. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see burlingtonvt.gov.
Who runs Burlington’s government?
See burlingtonvt.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Burlington yet.
How did Burlington vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 84.3%, Donald J Trump 10.8% (20,667 votes, official results). Chittenden County: Harris 74.6%, Trump 21.5%. Vermont: Harris 63.8%, Trump 32.3%.
How many people work for Burlington?
654 full-time and 76 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $4.8M (about $57.8M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Burlington in the state legislature?
Burlington is split among 6 State House districts and 2 State Senate districts, so your address decides. The Vermont Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
When is the next public meeting in Burlington?
The next posted meeting is Airport Commission on Wednesday, November 4, at 4:00 pm in 1200 Airport Drive, Third Floor Conference Room, from the city’s own agenda portal.
Ask neighbors about Burlington’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 →