Photo: Ascended Dreamer · CC BY-SA 4.0How is Chester run?
Chester’s town government spent $5.3 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2023, about $1,741 per resident. These are Census Bureau estimates: Chester didn’t report its figures, so this page shows them without comparisons.
What stands out about how Chester is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
Green Mountain Unified School District
Chester’s K–12 school district, shared with Andover, Baltimore, Cavendish. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $21,407 per pupil, $12,296 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 $1,741 per resident a year, or $4.77 a day
Day-to-day services only (a Census Bureau estimate). The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 30%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Chester didn’t report all of its 2023 figures to the Census Bureau, so most of these numbers are the Bureau’s estimates.
No comparison or trend for Chester yet
Every year of Chester’s figures is a Census Bureau estimate: the town reported none of its dollars for 2022–2023. Estimates are shown above, labeled, but never ranked against places that reported or drawn as a trend.
How Town Hall compares budgets →full-time in March 2025, up from 34 in 2022. Both are Census estimates.
The typical homeowner pays $4,262 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.83% 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 Chester’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 Chester’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Chester →
Most Vermont towns vote on March 2, 2027
Check Chester’s own dates: some towns hold the business session on another day or vote by ballot (SB2).
Chester’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 Chester’s site for its warrant and dates.
Who’s in charge in Chester
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time town employee for every 84 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2023 finance file (3,027).
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.
How Chester voted in 2024
Official results for Chester’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat58.9%1,034 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican38.0%667 votesOthers: 3.1% (55 votes).
Most votes in Chester: Kamala D Harris
Windsor County: Harris 65.8%, Trump 30.5% · Vermont: Harris 63.8%, Trump 32.3%
of Chester’s 2,541 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Vermont: 71%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Chester: Bernie Sanders
Windsor County: Sanders 64.1%, Malloy 31.0% · Vermont: Sanders 63.2%, Malloy 32.1%
Most votes in Chester: Phil Scott
Windsor County: Scott 72.7%, Charlestin 22.1% · Vermont: Scott 73.4%, Charlestin 21.8%
Most votes in the district: Becca Balint
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Chester, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chester | 58.9% | 38.0% | 3.1% | 1,756 |
| Windsor County | 65.8% | 30.5% | 3.7% | 34,289 |
| 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 Chester.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: chestervt.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 Chester compares with the towns next door
Chester’s own figures are Census estimates, so it isn’t placed among its neighbors. 2 of the 5 towns next door reported 2022 figures, from $1,641 to $5,773 per resident. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Springfield | $1,641 | $4,807 |
| Windham | $5,773 | $5,951 |
| Andover | estimate | $5,190 |
| Ludlow | estimate | $4,890 |
| Grafton | estimate | $4,843 |
| Chester | estimate | $4,262 |
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 Chester’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Chester’s government
How much does Chester spend per resident?
About $1,741 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2023, a Census Bureau estimate (Chester didn’t report its figures). With building projects and interest, the whole budget was about $6.2 million.
What is the property tax rate in Chester?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $4,262 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.83% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.59% across Vermont. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see chestervt.gov.
Who runs Chester’s government?
See chestervt.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Chester yet.
How did Chester vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 58.9%, Donald J Trump 38.0% (1,756 votes, official results). Windsor County: Harris 65.8%, Trump 30.5%. Vermont: Harris 63.8%, Trump 32.3%.
How many people work for Chester?
36 full-time and 23 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $370,661 (about $4.4M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Chester in the state legislature?
State Senate District Windsor (Alison Clarkson, Becca White and Joe Major) and State House District Windsor-Windham (Tom Charlton). The House district also covers three neighboring towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
When is town meeting in Chester?
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 chestervt.gov for Chester’s own dates.
Ask neighbors about Chester’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 Chester, 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 →