Photo: Fancy-cats-are-happy-cats · Public domainHow is Colchester run?
Colchester’s town government spent $16.7 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2023, about $948 per resident. That is its newest year reported to the Census Bureau.
In 118 days
Vermont towns vote that day.
What stands out about how Colchester is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
From town hall to Washington
Colchester sends 4 representatives to the Vermont House alone.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: colchestervt.gov ↗
- 2Vermont HouseColchester is split between 2 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.
About $948 per resident a year, or $2.60 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 27%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,092 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar towns
Colchester’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,092 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 30 Vermont towns and townships of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,077, and the middle half spent $780–$1,375. Colchester spent more than 50% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($2.7 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 towns and townships of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Colchester itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is down 11% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Colchester 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: $1,092 · 2023: $948.
full-time in March 2025, up from 103 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 $5,471 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.39% 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 Colchester’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 Colchester’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Colchester →
Most Vermont towns vote on March 2, 2027
Check Colchester’s own dates: some towns hold the business session on another day or vote by ballot (SB2).
Colchester’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 Colchester’s site for its warrant and dates.
Who’s in charge in Colchester
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time town employee for every 154 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2023 finance file (17,612).
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.
Colchester School District
Colchester’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $24,584 per pupil, $14,781 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 Colchester voted in 2024
Official results for Colchester’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat66.6%6,404 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican29.8%2,864 votesOthers: 3.6% (344 votes).
Most votes in Colchester: Kamala D Harris
Chittenden County: Harris 74.6%, Trump 21.5% · Vermont: Harris 63.8%, Trump 32.3%
of Colchester’s 13,919 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Vermont: 71%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Colchester: Bernie Sanders
Chittenden County: Sanders 73.3%, Malloy 23.0% · Vermont: Sanders 63.2%, Malloy 32.1%
Most votes in Colchester: 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: Colchester, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colchester | 66.6% | 29.8% | 3.6% | 9,612 |
| 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.
How Colchester compares with the towns next door
Colchester spent $1,092 per resident in 2022; the 5 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $732 to $1,976. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Essex | $732 | $6,602 |
| Milton | $976 | $5,610 |
| South Burlington | $1,528 | $6,674 |
| Winooski | $1,599 | $6,802 |
| Burlington | $1,976 | $7,335 |
| South Hero | estimate | $7,858 |
| Colchester | $1,092 | $5,471 |
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 Colchester’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Colchester’s government
How much does Colchester spend per resident?
About $948 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2023, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,092 was more than 50% of 30 Vermont towns and townships of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Colchester?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $5,471 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.39% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.59% across Vermont. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see colchestervt.gov.
Who runs Colchester’s government?
See colchestervt.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Colchester yet.
How did Colchester vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 66.6%, Donald J Trump 29.8% (9,612 votes, official results). Chittenden County: Harris 74.6%, Trump 21.5%. Vermont: Harris 63.8%, Trump 32.3%.
How many people work for Colchester?
114 full-time and 93 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $831,488 (about $10.0M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Colchester in the state legislature?
Colchester is split among 2 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 town meeting in Colchester?
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 colchestervt.gov for Colchester’s own dates.
Ask neighbors about Colchester’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 →