Photo: Doug Kerr from Albany, NY, United States · CC BY-SA 2.0In Dorset, 95% of adult citizens voted for president in 2024, more than across Vermont
Dorset’s town government spent $1.8 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $936 per resident.
What stands out about how Dorset is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
Taconic and Green Regional School District
Dorset’s elementary school district, shared with Danby, Landgrove, Londonderry, Manchester, Manchester and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $11,061 per pupil, $6,849 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 $936 per resident a year, or $2.56 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 33%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Revenue is well above spending. That usually means Dorset collects property taxes for the school district and county and passes them on, so only its own spending is counted.
$936 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar towns
Dorset’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($936 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 83 Vermont towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $945, and the middle half spent $600–$1,274. Dorset spent less than 51% of them.
Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Vermont towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Dorset itself left out).
No trend yet
Dorset reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
full-time in March 2025, the same as 11 in 2022.
The typical homeowner pays $7,489 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.32% 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 Dorset’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 Dorset’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Dorset →
Most Vermont towns vote on March 2, 2027
Check Dorset’s own dates: some towns hold the business session on another day or vote by ballot (SB2).
Dorset’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 Dorset’s site for its warrant and dates.
Who’s in charge in Dorset
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time town employee for every 176 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (1,937).
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 Dorset voted in 2024
Official results for Dorset’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat69.1%1,006 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican27.0%393 votesOthers: 3.8% (56 votes).
Most votes in Dorset: Kamala D Harris
Bennington County: Harris 59.5%, Trump 37.2% · Vermont: Harris 63.8%, Trump 32.3%
of Dorset’s 1,536 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Vermont: 71%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Dorset: Bernie Sanders
Bennington County: Sanders 58.5%, Malloy 32.6% · Vermont: Sanders 63.2%, Malloy 32.1%
Most votes in Dorset: Phil Scott
Bennington County: Scott 69.3%, Charlestin 21.2% · Vermont: Scott 73.4%, Charlestin 21.8%
Most votes in the district: Becca Balint
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Dorset, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dorset | 69.1% | 27.0% | 3.8% | 1,455 |
| Bennington County | 59.5% | 37.2% | 3.3% | 20,710 |
| 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 Dorset.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: dorsetvt.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 Dorset compares with the towns next door
Dorset spent $936 per resident in 2022; the 2 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $1,124 to $4,240. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Peru | $1,124 | $5,000 |
| Winhall | $4,240 | $6,567 |
| Danby | estimate | $4,543 |
| Mount Tabor | estimate | $5,233 |
| Manchester | estimate | $5,923 |
| Rupert | estimate | $4,594 |
| Dorset | $936 | $7,489 |
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 Dorset’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Dorset’s government
How much does Dorset spend per resident?
About $936 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 $936 was less than 51% of 83 Vermont towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Dorset?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $7,489 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.32% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.59% across Vermont. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see dorsetvt.org.
Who runs Dorset’s government?
See dorsetvt.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Dorset yet.
How did Dorset vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 69.1%, Donald J Trump 27.0% (1,455 votes, official results). Bennington County: Harris 59.5%, Trump 37.2%. Vermont: Harris 63.8%, Trump 32.3%.
How many people work for Dorset?
11 full-time and 3 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $63,591 (about $763,092 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Dorset in the state legislature?
State Senate District Bennington (Rob Plunkett and Seth Bongartz) and State House District Bennington-Rutland (Sandy Pinsonault). The House district also covers four other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
When is town meeting in Dorset?
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 dorsetvt.org for Dorset’s own dates.
Ask neighbors about Dorset’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 →