Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0Bath spent more per resident in 2022 than 90% of similar cities
Bath’s city government spent $16.8 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $2,015 per resident. That is its newest year reported to the Census Bureau.
What stands out about how Bath is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$2,015 per resident in 2022: more than 90% of them
Bath’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($2,015 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 2837 U.S. cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,041, and the middle half spent $736–$1,451. Bath spent more than 90% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($2 million), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
U.S. cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Bath itself left out).
About $2,015 per resident a year, or $5.52 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 12%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Bath reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau (2023, 2024 are estimates), so there is no trend yet.
full-time in March 2025, down from 115 in 2022. Both are Census estimates.
The typical homeowner pays $3,847 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.24% 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 Bath’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.
Tax bills are one input to Bath’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Bath →
Who’s in charge in Bath
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Bath’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on cityofbath.com ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 82 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (8,335).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025
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 01
Bath’s K–12 school district, shared with Arrowsic, Phippsburg, Woolwich. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $22,060 per pupil, $12,743 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 Bath voted in 2024
Official results for Bath’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat67.1%3,492 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican30.4%1,581 votesOthers: 2.6% (135 votes).
Most votes in Bath: Kamala D Harris
Maine: Harris 52.4%, Trump 45.5%
of Bath’s 7,359 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Maine: 75%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Bath: Angus S King Jr
Maine: Jr 52.1%, Kouzounas 34.6%
President, 2024: Bath, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bath | 67.1% | 30.4% | 2.6% | 5,208 |
| Maine | 52.4% | 45.5% | 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 Bath.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: cityofbath.com ↗
- 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 Bath compares with the towns next door
Bath spent $2,015 per resident in 2022. Most of its neighbors are townships, a different kind of government, so the like-for-like comparison is with similar cities, above. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Bowdoinham | $563 | $2,958 |
| Woolwich | $714 | $2,433 |
| Phippsburg | $855 | $2,034 |
| Topsham | $958 | $4,259 |
| West Bath | $2,107 runs schools | $3,516 |
| Brunswick | $3,410 runs schools | $4,756 |
| Arrowsic | estimate | $3,521 |
| Bath | $2,015 | $3,847 |
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 Bath’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Bath’s government
How much does Bath spend per resident?
About $2,015 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $2,015 was more than 90% of 2837 U.S. cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Bath?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,847 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.24% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.02% across Maine. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cityofbath.com.
Who runs Bath’s government?
See cityofbath.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Bath yet.
How did Bath vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 67.1%, Donald J Trump 30.4% (5,208 votes, official results). . Maine: Harris 52.4%, Trump 45.5%.
How many people work for Bath?
102 full-time and 5 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $663,422 (about $8.0M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Bath in the state legislature?
State Senate District 24 (Denise Tepler) and State House District 50 (David Sinclair). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Bath’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 →