Photo: P199 · CC BY-SA 3.0How is Amherst run?
Amherst’s town government spent $133,000 on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $520 per resident. These are Census Bureau estimates: Amherst didn’t report its figures, so this page shows them without comparisons.
What stands out about how Amherst is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
Airline Community School District
Amherst’s elementary school district, shared with Aurora, Great Pond, Osborn. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $28,167 per pupil, $15,100 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.
About $520 per resident a year, or $1.42 a day
Day-to-day services only (a Census Bureau estimate). The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 56%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Amherst didn’t report all of its 2022 figures to the Census Bureau, so most of these numbers are the Bureau’s estimates.
No comparison or trend for Amherst yet
Every year of Amherst’s figures is a Census Bureau estimate: the town reported none of its dollars for 2022. Estimates are shown above, labeled, but never ranked against places that reported or drawn as a trend.
How Town Hall compares budgets →The typical homeowner pays $1,527 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.73% 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 Amherst’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 Amherst’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Amherst →
Who’s in charge in Amherst
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
How Amherst voted in 2024
Official results for Amherst’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Donald J TrumpRepublican63.6%131 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat34.5%71 votesOthers: 1.9% (4 votes).
Most votes in Amherst: Donald J Trump
Maine: Harris 52.4%, Trump 45.5%
of Amherst’s 335 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Maine: 75%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Amherst: Demi Kouzounas
Maine: Jr 52.1%, Kouzounas 34.6%
President, 2024: Amherst, its county and the state
| Trump | Harris | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amherst | 63.6% | 34.5% | 1.9% | 206 |
| 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 Amherst.
- 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 Amherst compares with the towns next door
Amherst’s own figures are Census estimates, so it isn’t placed among its neighbors. 0 of the 3 towns next door reported 2022 figures. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Aurora | estimate | $2,025 |
| Bradley | estimate | $1,946 |
| Mariaville | estimate | $1,871 |
| Amherst | estimate | $1,527 |
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 Amherst’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Amherst’s government
How much does Amherst spend per resident?
About $520 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, a Census Bureau estimate (Amherst didn’t report its figures). With building projects and interest, the whole budget was about $138,000.
What is the property tax rate in Amherst?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,527 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.73% 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 Amherst’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Amherst yet.
How did Amherst vote in 2024?
For president, Donald J Trump 63.6%, Kamala D Harris 34.5% (206 votes, official results). . Maine: Harris 52.4%, Trump 45.5%.
How many people work for Amherst?
0 full-time and 8 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $9,924 (about $119,088 a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Amherst in the state legislature?
State Senate District 6 (Marianne Moore) and State House District 18 (Mathew McIntyre). The House district also covers 15 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Amherst’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 (for Amherst, the Bureau’s estimates); 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 →