Alton spent less per resident in 2022 than 91% of similar towns
Alton’s town government spent $581,000 on day-to-day services in the year to February 28, 2023, about $705 per resident.
What stands out about how Alton is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$431 per resident in 2022: less than 91% of them
Alton’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($431 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 100 Maine towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $764, and the middle half spent $574–$1,149. Alton spent less than 91% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($63,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Maine towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Alton itself left out).
About $705 per resident a year, or $1.93 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 37%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Revenue is well above spending. That usually means Alton collects property taxes for the school district and county and passes them on, so only its own spending is counted.
Day-to-day spending is up 57% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Alton 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: $431 · 2023: $705. Per resident it went from $431 to $705 (up 64%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 858 to 824.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $1,476 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.82% of the home’s value, vs 1.02% across Maine.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Alton’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 Alton’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Alton →
Who’s in charge in Alton
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time town employee for every 824 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2023 finance file (824).
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.
Regional School Unit 34
Alton’s K–12 school district, shared with Bradley, Old Town. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $17,859 per pupil, $10,870 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.
Maine districts overall: 52% local, 40% state, 8% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
How Alton voted in 2024
Official results for Alton’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Donald J TrumpRepublican62.9%338 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat35.0%188 votesOthers: 2.0% (11 votes).
Most votes in Alton: Donald J Trump
Maine: Harris 52.4%, Trump 45.5%
of Alton’s 668 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Maine: 75%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Alton: Demi Kouzounas
Maine: Jr 52.1%, Kouzounas 34.6%
President, 2024: Alton, its county and the state
| Trump | Harris | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alton | 62.9% | 35.0% | 2.0% | 537 |
| Maine | 45.5% | 52.4% | 2.1% | 831,375 |
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 Alton.
- 1Your townTown governmentLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 2Maine HouseState representatives
- 3Maine SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Maine
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Alton compares with the towns next door
Alton spent $431 per resident in 2022; the 3 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $576 to $1,675. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
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 Alton’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Alton’s government
How much does Alton spend per resident?
About $705 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to February 28, 2023, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $431 was less than 91% of 100 Maine towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Alton?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,476 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.82% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.02% across Maine. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the town’s assessor.
Who runs Alton’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Alton yet.
How did Alton vote in 2024?
For president, Donald J Trump 62.9%, Kamala D Harris 35.0% (537 votes, official results). . Maine: Harris 52.4%, Trump 45.5%.
How many people work for Alton?
1 full-time and 38 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $27,864 (about $334,368 a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Alton in the state legislature?
State Senate District 8 (Mike Tipping) and State House District 27 (Gary Drinkwater). The House district also covers four other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Alton’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 →