Town Hall · Charlestown

Charlestown, RI town hall & government

Charlestown spent $27.3 million in the year to June 30, 2024, about $3,398 per resident.

Where the money goes, where it comes from, property taxes, and how to reach Charlestown's government.

Town budget

Where Charlestown's money goes

Spent
$27.3 million
fiscal year to June 30, 2024
Per resident
$3,398
typical Rhode Island towns: $4,541
Long-term debt
$1.8 million
$226 per resident
Schools
$13.9 million51%
Police
$3.2 million12%
Administration & buildings
$1.7 million6%
Roads & transportation
$1.4 million5%
Parks & libraries
$1 million4%
Health & welfare
$891,0003%
Sewer & trash
$453,0002%
Courts, inspections & corrections
$322,0001%
Interest on debt
$75,000<1%
Other
$4.4 million16%

Charlestown runs its own schools, so school spending is part of its budget. Comparisons are with other Rhode Island towns.

Where the money comes from

  • Property taxes 80%
  • From the state 10%
  • Fees & charges 7%
  • Interest, fines & other 2%
  • Sales taxes 1%
  • Other taxes & licenses <1%
Town workforce

Who works for Charlestown

Full-time staff
68
44 part-time too
Average full-time pay
$87,100
a year, before benefits
Sworn police officers
20
full-time, with power of arrest
Administration & buildings
30 full-time17 part
Police
24 full-time1 part
Roads & transportation
9 full-time7 part
Parks & libraries
3 full-time16 part
Sewer & trash
2 full-time
Health & welfare
0 full-time3 part

Staff on the town's payroll in March 2025. Pay is March payroll times twelve, so it's approximate.

Schools · school year 2023–24

Chariho Regional School District

Charlestown's K–12 school district, shared with Hopkinton and Richmond. The schools are run by Charlestown, so this money is part of the budget above.

Spending per pupil
$22,432
Rhode Island: $23,945
Students
3,008
in the whole district
Long-term debt
$26.1 million
at year end

Where the district's money comes from Rhode Island districts overall: 48% local, 40% state, 13% federal

  • Local 65%
  • State 30%
  • Federal 5%

Of the $22,432 per pupil, $13,387 goes to classroom instruction (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to support services such as buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren't in the per-pupil figure.

Property tax

What homeowners in Charlestown pay

Typical tax bill
$3,365
a year · Rhode Island typical $4,900
Effective rate
0.64%
of home value · Rhode Island 1.21%
Typical home value
$525,500
owner-occupied

The median yearly bill homeowners report, covering every local property tax on the home (town, schools, county). The effective rate is that bill divided by the median home value, so it's a rough guide, not the official tax rate.

Local

Contact Charlestown's government

🏛️ Official websitecharlestownri.org ↗

Town hall & decisions in Charlestown →

Beyond town hall

Who represents Charlestown

Charlestown is represented in Congress by Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and Representative Seth Magaziner. Dan McKee is governor.

All of Charlestown's representatives, with contacts →

Budget: U.S. Census Bureau, 2022 Census of Governments: Finance (every city and town government's revenue, spending and debt, grouped into plain categories). Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 5-year estimates.

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Charlestown

Rhode Island · RI · Washington County
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