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Strafford vt meeting housePhoto: Curtis B. Johnson · Public domain
Town Hall · Strafford

Strafford spent more per resident in 2022 than 86% of similar towns

Strafford’s town government spent $1.7 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $1,629 per resident.

Town website
Election Day

Today

General election in Vermont.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$1.7M
year to December 31, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$1,629
In 2022: $1,629, more than 86% of 83 similar towns
Long-term debt
$373,000
end of 2022, reported
Town staff, 2022
5
full-time · 1 part-time · March payroll $32,286
Typical tax bill
$7,149
1.66% of home value · VT 1.59%

What stands out about how Strafford is run

Read from the town’s budget and official records.

Compared with similar places

$1,629 per resident in 2022: more than 86% of them

Strafford’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,629 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 $936, and the middle half spent $600–$1,260. Strafford spent more than 86% of them.

Middle half of the group, $600–$1,260Median $936Strafford

Includes sewer and trash ($31,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →

The group
83

Vermont towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Strafford itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $1,629 per resident a year, or $4.46 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 78%.

Where the money comes from
Property taxes 89%From the state 11%

Revenue is well above spending. That usually means Strafford collects property taxes for the school district and county and passes them on, so only its own spending is counted.

Not in the receipt.Interest on debt $22,000. With these, the whole budget was $1.7 million.
Over the years

No trend yet

Strafford reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $7,149 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.66% of the home’s value, vs 1.59% across Vermont.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Strafford$7,149
Thetford$6,948
Sharon$5,903
West Fairlee$5,210
Vermont$5,039
Royalton$4,675
Tunbridge$4,645
Vershire$4,640
$7,149
typical bill a year
1.66%
effective rate
$431,300
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Strafford’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 Strafford’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Strafford →

Meetings

Most Vermont towns vote on March 2, 2027

Check Strafford’s own dates: some towns hold the business session on another day or vote by ballot (SB2).

Agendas

Strafford’s meetings aren’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on its website.

Town website ↗
Town Meeting Day
Tue, Mar 2

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 Strafford’s site for its warrant and dates.

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Strafford

Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.

See straffordvt.net for Strafford’s current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Strafford yet.straffordvt.net ↗
Who works for Strafford

One full-time town employee for every 212 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 (1,058).

By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022

Roads & transportation3 + 1 pt
Administration & buildings2
5
full-time
1
part-time
$32,286
payroll for March 2022
$387,432
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$73,200
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
Compared, 2022.Strafford had 4.7 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 73 of the 83 Vermont towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 3.5: Strafford had more than 71% of them. Same group and year as the budget comparison.

The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.

The school district

Strafford School District

Strafford’s elementary school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Strafford →
$11,573
per pupil · VT $25,064
171
students
$35,000
long-term debt

Of the $11,573 per pupil, $6,556 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.

The district: schools, scores and graduation →

Where the district’s money comes from
Local 2%State 98%Federal 0%

Vermont districts overall: 5% local, 89% state, 6% federal.

School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.

Elections · 2024 general election

How Strafford voted in 2024

Official results for Strafford’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.

President800 votes · results as certified
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat81.1%649 votes
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican15.2%122 votes

Others: 3.6% (29 votes).

Most votes in Strafford: Kamala D Harris

Orange County: Harris 57.8%, Trump 37.8% · Vermont: Harris 63.8%, Trump 32.3%

Turnout
76%

of Strafford’s 1,055 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Vermont: 71%.

Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).

U.S. Senate786 votes
Bernie Sanders80.8%
Gerald MalloyRepublican15.8%
Others3.4%

Most votes in Strafford: Bernie Sanders

Orange County: Sanders 58.0%, Malloy 37.1% · Vermont: Sanders 63.2%, Malloy 32.1%

Governor789 votes
Phil ScottRepublican61.2%
Esther Charlestin33.5%
Others5.3%

Most votes in Strafford: Phil Scott

Orange County: Scott 76.3%, Charlestin 18.9% · Vermont: Scott 73.4%, Charlestin 21.8%

U.S. House · Vermont’s at-large district350,616 votes
Becca BalintDemocrat62.3%
Mark Coester29.8%
Others7.9%

Most votes in the district: Becca Balint

Whole-district result

President, 2024: Strafford, its county and the state

HarrisTrumpOthersVotes
Strafford81.1%15.2%3.6%800
Orange County57.8%37.8%4.4%17,672
Vermont63.8%32.3%3.9%369,422
DemocratRepublicanLibertarianIndependent / other

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.

Who represents Strafford

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Strafford.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your townTown government
  2. 2
    Vermont HouseState representatives
  3. 3
    Vermont SenateState senator
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Vermont

Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.

Next door

How Strafford compares with the towns next door

Strafford spent $1,629 per resident in 2022; the 3 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $48 to $1,111. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.

Spends the leastSpends the mostEstimate or no figures
TownDay-to-day, per resident (2022)Tax bill
Sharon$48$5,903
West Fairlee$482$5,210
Tunbridge$1,111$4,645
Vershireestimate$4,640
Thetfordestimate$6,948
Royaltonestimate$4,675
Strafford$1,629$7,149

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 Strafford’s government

The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Strafford’s government

How much does Strafford spend per resident?

About $1,629 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,629 was more than 86% of 83 Vermont towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Strafford?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $7,149 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.66% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.59% across Vermont. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see straffordvt.net.

Who runs Strafford’s government?

See straffordvt.net for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Strafford yet.

How did Strafford vote in 2024?

For president, Kamala D Harris 81.1%, Donald J Trump 15.2% (800 votes, official results). Orange County: Harris 57.8%, Trump 37.8%. Vermont: Harris 63.8%, Trump 32.3%.

How many people work for Strafford?

5 full-time and 1 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $32,286 (about $387,432 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Strafford in the state legislature?

State Senate District Orange (John Benson) and State House District Windsor-Orange-2 (Jim Masland and Rebecca Holcombe). The House district also covers three neighboring towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

When is town meeting in Strafford?

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 straffordvt.net for Strafford’s own dates.

Ask neighbors about Strafford’s government

Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.

Town Square →
Ask neighbors

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 →