Ashland spent more per resident in 2022 than 85% of similar towns
Ashland’s town government spent $1.8 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $1,462 per resident.
What stands out about how Ashland is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$1,462 per resident in 2022: more than 85% of them
Ashland’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,462 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 $748, and the middle half spent $568–$1,134. Ashland spent more than 85% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($169,000), 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; Ashland itself left out).
About $1,462 per resident a year, or $4.01 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 31%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Ashland reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $1,511 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.21% 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 Ashland’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 Ashland’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Ashland →
Who’s in charge in Ashland
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time town employee for every 87 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 (1,214).
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.
School Administrative District 32
Ashland’s K–12 school district, shared with Garfield plantation, Masardis, Portage Lake. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $22,606 per pupil, $12,108 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 Ashland voted in 2024
Official results for Ashland’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Donald J TrumpRepublican64.7%434 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat33.4%224 votesOthers: 1.9% (13 votes).
Most votes in Ashland: Donald J Trump
Maine: Harris 52.4%, Trump 45.5%
of Ashland’s 921 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Maine: 75%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Ashland: Angus S King Jr
Maine: Jr 52.1%, Kouzounas 34.6%
President, 2024: Ashland, its county and the state
| Trump | Harris | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashland | 64.7% | 33.4% | 1.9% | 671 |
| 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 Ashland.
- 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 Ashland compares with the towns next door
Ashland spent $1,462 per resident in 2022; the neighbor that reported 2022 spent $1,070. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Masardis | $1,070 | $914 |
| Castle Hill | estimate | $1,449 |
| Garfield plantation | estimate | $199 |
| Nashville plantation | estimate | $199 |
| Ashland | $1,462 | $1,511 |
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 Ashland’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Ashland’s government
How much does Ashland spend per resident?
About $1,462 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 $1,462 was more than 85% of 100 Maine towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Ashland?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,511 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.21% 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 Ashland’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Ashland yet.
How did Ashland vote in 2024?
For president, Donald J Trump 64.7%, Kamala D Harris 33.4% (671 votes, official results). . Maine: Harris 52.4%, Trump 45.5%.
How many people work for Ashland?
14 full-time and 5 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $70,408 (about $844,896 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Ashland in the state legislature?
State Senate District 1 (Sue Bernard) and State House District 1 (Lucien Daigle). The House district also covers 12 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Ashland’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 →