Photo: Unknown authorUnknown author · Public domainCharleston spent less per resident in 2022 than 95% of similar towns
Charleston’s town government spent $505,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $301 per resident.
What stands out about how Charleston is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$301 per resident in 2022: less than 95% of them
Charleston’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($301 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 $764, and the middle half spent $574–$1,149. Charleston spent less than 95% 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 under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Charleston itself left out).
About $301 per resident a year, or $0.82 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 52%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Revenue is well above spending. That usually means Charleston collects property taxes for the school district and county and passes them on, so only its own spending is counted.
No trend yet
Charleston reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $1,811 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.80% 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 Charleston’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 Charleston’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Charleston →
Who’s in charge in Charleston
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time town employee for every 419 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 (1,675).
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 68
Charleston’s elementary school district, shared with Dover-Foxcroft, Monson, Sebec. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $10,431 per pupil, $5,681 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 Charleston voted in 2024
Official results for Charleston’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Donald J TrumpRepublican75.2%596 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat22.8%181 votesOthers: 2.0% (16 votes).
Most votes in Charleston: Donald J Trump
Maine: Harris 52.4%, Trump 45.5%
of Charleston’s 903 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Maine: 75%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Charleston: Demi Kouzounas
Maine: Jr 52.1%, Kouzounas 34.6%
President, 2024: Charleston, its county and the state
| Trump | Harris | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charleston | 75.2% | 22.8% | 2.0% | 793 |
| 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 Charleston.
- 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 Charleston compares with the towns next door
Charleston spent $301 per resident in 2022; the 3 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $530 to $736. 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 Charleston’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Charleston’s government
How much does Charleston spend per resident?
About $301 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 $301 was less than 95% of 100 Maine towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Charleston?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,811 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.80% 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 Charleston’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Charleston yet.
How did Charleston vote in 2024?
For president, Donald J Trump 75.2%, Kamala D Harris 22.8% (793 votes, official results). . Maine: Harris 52.4%, Trump 45.5%.
How many people work for Charleston?
4 full-time and 7 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $21,083 (about $252,996 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Charleston in the state legislature?
State Senate District 4 (Stacey Guerin) and State House District 32 (Steven Foster). The House district also covers five other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Charleston’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 →