Exeter spent less per resident in 2022 than 70% of similar towns
Exeter’s town government spent $647,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $589 per resident. Water and other utilities ($25,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Exeter is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$589 per resident in 2022: less than 70% of them
Exeter’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($589 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 $568–$1,149. Exeter spent less than 70% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($64,000), 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; Exeter itself left out).
About $589 per resident a year, or $1.61 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 66%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Revenue is well above spending. That usually means Exeter collects property taxes for the school district and county and passes them on, so only its own spending is counted.
No trend yet
Exeter reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $1,602 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.96% 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 Exeter’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 Exeter’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Exeter →
Who’s in charge in Exeter
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time town employee for every 220 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 (1,098).
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 46
Exeter’s K–12 school district, shared with Dexter, Garland, Ripley. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $21,395 per pupil, $12,541 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 Exeter voted in 2024
Official results for Exeter’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Donald J TrumpRepublican70.5%391 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat28.6%159 votesOthers: 0.9% (5 votes).
Most votes in Exeter: Donald J Trump
Maine: Harris 52.4%, Trump 45.5%
of Exeter’s 992 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Maine: 75%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Exeter: Demi Kouzounas
Maine: Jr 52.1%, Kouzounas 34.6%
President, 2024: Exeter, its county and the state
| Trump | Harris | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exeter | 70.5% | 28.6% | 0.9% | 555 |
| 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 Exeter.
- 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 Exeter compares with the towns next door
Exeter spent $589 per resident in 2022; the 4 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $530 to $779. 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 Exeter’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Exeter’s government
How much does Exeter spend per resident?
About $589 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 $589 was less than 70% of 100 Maine towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Exeter?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,602 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.96% 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 Exeter’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Exeter yet.
How did Exeter vote in 2024?
For president, Donald J Trump 70.5%, Kamala D Harris 28.6% (555 votes, official results). . Maine: Harris 52.4%, Trump 45.5%.
How many people work for Exeter?
5 full-time and 2 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $15,225 (about $182,700 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Exeter 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 Exeter’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 →