Benton Grange #458 · Photo: Magicpiano · CC BY-SA 4.0Benton spent less per resident in 2022 than 98% of similar towns
Benton’s town government spent $985,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $362 per resident.
What stands out about how Benton is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$362 per resident in 2022: less than 98% of them
Benton’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($362 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 67 Maine towns and townships of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $834, and the middle half spent $620–$1,102. Benton spent less than 98% of them.
Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Maine towns and townships of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Benton itself left out).
About $362 per resident a year, or $0.99 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 26%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Revenue is well above spending. That usually means Benton collects property taxes for the school district and county and passes them on, so only its own spending is counted.
No trend yet
Benton reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $1,758 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.99% 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 Benton’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 Benton’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Benton →
Who’s in charge in Benton
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time town employee for every 907 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 (2,720).
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 49
Benton’s K–12 school district, shared with Albion, Clinton, Fairfield. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $15,341 per pupil, $7,621 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 Benton voted in 2024
Official results for Benton’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Donald J TrumpRepublican65.0%1,022 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat32.8%516 votesOthers: 2.2% (34 votes).
Most votes in Benton: Donald J Trump
Maine: Harris 52.4%, Trump 45.5%
of Benton’s 2,211 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Maine: 75%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Benton: Demi Kouzounas
Maine: Jr 52.1%, Kouzounas 34.6%
President, 2024: Benton, its county and the state
| Trump | Harris | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benton | 65.0% | 32.8% | 2.2% | 1,572 |
| 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 Benton.
- 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 Benton compares with the towns next door
Benton spent $362 per resident in 2022; the 2 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $923 to $3,511. 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 Benton’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Benton’s government
How much does Benton spend per resident?
About $362 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 $362 was less than 98% of 67 Maine towns and townships of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Benton?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,758 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.99% 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 Benton’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Benton yet.
How did Benton vote in 2024?
For president, Donald J Trump 65.0%, Kamala D Harris 32.8% (1,572 votes, official results). . Maine: Harris 52.4%, Trump 45.5%.
How many people work for Benton?
3 full-time and 8 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $13,725 (about $164,700 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Benton in the state legislature?
State Senate District 3 (Brad Farrin) and State House District 67 (Shelley Rudnicki). The House district also covers 1 neighboring town. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Benton’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 →