Photo: Doug Kerr · CC BY-SA 2.0Pownal spent less per resident in 2022 than 100% of similar towns
Pownal’s town government spent $3.3 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $1,001 per resident.
In 118 days
Vermont towns vote that day.
What stands out about how Pownal is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$370 per resident in 2022: less than 100% of them
Pownal’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($370 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 24 Vermont towns and townships of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,077, and the middle half spent $821–$1,428. Pownal spent less than 100% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($174,000), 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 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Pownal itself left out).
About $1,001 per resident a year, or $2.74 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 42%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 161% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Pownal 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: $370 · 2024: $1,001. Per resident it went from $370 to $1,001 (up 171%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 3,386 to 3,271.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $3,560 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 Pownal’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 Pownal’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Pownal →
Most Vermont towns vote on March 2, 2027
Check Pownal’s own dates: some towns hold the business session on another day or vote by ballot (SB2).
Pownal’s meetings aren’t in our feed yet. Neighbors who know where agendas are posted can add it to the Handbook.
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 Pownal’s site for its warrant and dates.
Who’s in charge in Pownal
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time town employee for every 327 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (3,271).
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.
Mount Anthony UHSD 14
Pownal’s middle and high school district, shared with Bennington, North Bennington, Shaftsbury, Woodford. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $16,023 per pupil, $8,868 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.
Southwest Vermont Union Elementary School District 87 · $12,002 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
How Pownal voted in 2024
Official results for Pownal’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Donald J TrumpRepublican51.3%936 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat46.2%842 votesOthers: 2.5% (46 votes).
Most votes in Pownal: Donald J Trump
Bennington County: Harris 59.5%, Trump 37.2% · Vermont: Harris 63.8%, Trump 32.3%
of Pownal’s 2,733 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Vermont: 71%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Pownal: Bernie Sanders
Bennington County: Sanders 58.5%, Malloy 32.6% · Vermont: Sanders 63.2%, Malloy 32.1%
Most votes in Pownal: 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: Pownal, its county and the state
| Trump | Harris | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pownal | 51.3% | 46.2% | 2.5% | 1,824 |
| Bennington County | 37.2% | 59.5% | 3.3% | 20,710 |
| Vermont | 32.3% | 63.8% | 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 Pownal.
- 1Your townTown governmentLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 2Vermont HousePownal 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.
How Pownal compares with the towns next door
Pownal spent $370 per resident in 2022; the 2 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $842 to $1,306. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Stamford | $842 | $5,113 |
| Bennington | $1,306 | $4,513 |
| Woodford | estimate | $3,075 |
| Pownal | $370 | $3,560 |
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 Pownal’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Pownal’s government
How much does Pownal spend per resident?
About $1,001 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 $370 was less than 100% of 24 Vermont towns and townships of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Pownal?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,560 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 the town’s assessor.
Who runs Pownal’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Pownal yet.
How did Pownal vote in 2024?
For president, Donald J Trump 51.3%, Kamala D Harris 46.2% (1,824 votes, official results). Bennington County: Harris 59.5%, Trump 37.2%. Vermont: Harris 63.8%, Trump 32.3%.
How many people work for Pownal?
10 full-time and 8 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $51,415 (about $616,980 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Pownal in the state legislature?
Pownal is split among 2 State House districts, so your address decides. The Vermont Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Its State Senate district is District Bennington (Rob Plunkett and Seth Bongartz). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
When is town meeting in Pownal?
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 the town’s own site for Pownal’s own dates.
Ask neighbors about Pownal’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 →