Photo: Unknown photographer · Public domainHow is Canton run?
Canton’s town government spent $494,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $450 per resident. These are Census Bureau estimates: Canton didn’t report its figures, so this page shows them without comparisons.
What stands out about how Canton is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
Regional School Unit 56
Canton’s K–12 school district, shared with Carthage, Dixfield, Peru. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $19,797 per pupil, $9,660 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 $450 per resident a year, or $1.23 a day
Day-to-day services only (a Census Bureau estimate). The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 23%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Canton 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 Canton yet
Every year of Canton’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 $2,277 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.38% 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 Canton’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 Canton’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Canton →
Who’s in charge in Canton
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Canton’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on cantonmaine.org ↗.
One full-time town employee for every 366 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 2022 finance file (1,097).
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.
How Canton voted in 2024
Official results for Canton’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Donald J TrumpRepublican68.5%385 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat30.1%169 votesOthers: 1.4% (8 votes).
Most votes in Canton: Donald J Trump
Maine: Harris 52.4%, Trump 45.5%
of Canton’s 950 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Maine: 75%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Canton: Demi Kouzounas
Maine: Jr 52.1%, Kouzounas 34.6%
President, 2024: Canton, its county and the state
| Trump | Harris | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canton | 68.5% | 30.1% | 1.4% | 562 |
| 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 Canton.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: cantonmaine.org ↗
- 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 Canton compares with the towns next door
Canton’s own figures are Census estimates, so it isn’t placed among its neighbors. 3 of the 5 towns next door reported 2022 figures, from $673 to $2,016 per resident. 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 Canton’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Canton’s government
How much does Canton spend per resident?
About $450 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, a Census Bureau estimate (Canton didn’t report its figures). With building projects and interest, the whole budget was about $514,000.
What is the property tax rate in Canton?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,277 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.38% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.02% across Maine. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cantonmaine.org.
Who runs Canton’s government?
See cantonmaine.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Canton yet.
How did Canton vote in 2024?
For president, Donald J Trump 68.5%, Kamala D Harris 30.1% (562 votes, official results). . Maine: Harris 52.4%, Trump 45.5%.
How many people work for Canton?
3 full-time and 36 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $32,175 (about $386,100 a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Canton in the state legislature?
State Senate District 19 (Joe Martin) and State House District 77 (Tammy Schmersal-Burgess). The House district also covers five other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Canton’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 Canton, 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 →