Moxley Covered Bridge · Photo: JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ MD · CC BY-SA 3.0In Chelsea, 77% of adult citizens voted for president in 2024, more than across Vermont
Chelsea’s town government spent $969,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $749 per resident. These are Census Bureau estimates: Chelsea didn’t report its figures, so this page shows them without comparisons.
In 118 days
Vermont towns vote that day.
What stands out about how Chelsea is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
About $749 per resident a year, or $2.05 a day
Day-to-day services only (a Census Bureau estimate). The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 57%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Revenue is well above spending. That usually means Chelsea collects property taxes for the school district and county and passes them on, so only its own spending is counted.
Chelsea didn’t report all of its 2022 figures to the Census Bureau, so most of these numbers are the Bureau’s estimates.
No comparison or trend for Chelsea yet
Every year of Chelsea’s figures is a Census Bureau estimate: the town reported none of its dollars for 2022. Estimates are shown above, labeled, but never ranked against places that reported or drawn as a trend.
How Town Hall compares budgets →The typical homeowner pays $3,762 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.44% 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 Chelsea’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 Chelsea’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Chelsea →
Most Vermont towns vote on March 2, 2027
Check Chelsea’s own dates: some towns hold the business session on another day or vote by ballot (SB2).
Chelsea’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 Chelsea’s site for its warrant and dates.
Who’s in charge in Chelsea
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time town employee for every 431 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 (1,294).
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.
First Branch Unified School District
Chelsea’s elementary school district, shared with Tunbridge. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $16,737 per pupil, $9,083 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 Chelsea voted in 2024
Official results for Chelsea’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat51.7%372 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican41.4%298 votesOthers: 6.9% (50 votes).
Most votes in Chelsea: Kamala D Harris
Orange County: Harris 57.8%, Trump 37.8% · Vermont: Harris 63.8%, Trump 32.3%
of Chelsea’s 940 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Vermont: 71%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Chelsea: Bernie Sanders
Orange County: Sanders 58.0%, Malloy 37.1% · Vermont: Sanders 63.2%, Malloy 32.1%
Most votes in Chelsea: Phil Scott
Orange County: Scott 76.3%, Charlestin 18.9% · Vermont: Scott 73.4%, Charlestin 21.8%
Most votes in the district: Becca Balint
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Chelsea, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chelsea | 51.7% | 41.4% | 6.9% | 720 |
| Orange County | 57.8% | 37.8% | 4.4% | 17,672 |
| 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 Chelsea.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: chelseavt.org ↗
- 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 Chelsea compares with the towns next door
Chelsea’s own figures are Census estimates, so it isn’t placed among its neighbors. 2 of the 4 towns next door reported 2022 figures, from $630 to $1,111 per resident. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Washington | $630 | $3,485 |
| Tunbridge | $1,111 | $4,645 |
| Vershire | estimate | $4,640 |
| Brookfield | estimate | $4,560 |
| Chelsea | estimate | $3,762 |
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 Chelsea’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Chelsea’s government
How much does Chelsea spend per resident?
About $749 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, a Census Bureau estimate (Chelsea didn’t report its figures). With building projects and interest, the whole budget was about $1.1 million.
What is the property tax rate in Chelsea?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,762 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.44% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.59% across Vermont. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see chelseavt.org.
Who runs Chelsea’s government?
See chelseavt.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Chelsea yet.
How did Chelsea vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 51.7%, Donald J Trump 41.4% (720 votes, official results). Orange County: Harris 57.8%, Trump 37.8%. Vermont: Harris 63.8%, Trump 32.3%.
How many people work for Chelsea?
3 full-time and 14 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $34,101 (about $409,212 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Chelsea in the state legislature?
State Senate District Orange (John Benson) and State House District Orange-3 (Josh Dobrovich). The House district also covers parts of 1 neighboring town. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
When is town meeting in Chelsea?
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 chelseavt.org for Chelsea’s own dates.
Ask neighbors about Chelsea’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 (for Chelsea, the Bureau’s estimates); 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 →