Photo: Troy R. Bennett · CC BY-SA 4.0In Harpswell, 84% of adult citizens voted for president in 2024, more than across Maine
Harpswell’s town government spent $4.6 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $936 per resident.
What stands out about how Harpswell is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
School Administrative District 75
Harpswell’s K–12 school district, shared with Bowdoin, Bowdoinham, Topsham. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $20,153 per pupil, $10,008 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 $936 per resident a year, or $2.56 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 27%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Revenue is well above spending. That usually means Harpswell collects property taxes for the school district and county and passes them on, so only its own spending is counted.
$936 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar towns
Harpswell’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($936 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 $606–$1,102. Harpswell spent more than 64% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($838,000), 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 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Harpswell itself left out).
No trend yet
Harpswell reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $3,141 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.52% 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 Harpswell’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 Harpswell’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Harpswell →
Who’s in charge in Harpswell
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Harpswell’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on harpswell.maine.gov ↗.
One full-time town employee for every 290 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 (4,934).
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 Harpswell voted in 2024
Official results for Harpswell’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat60.9%2,351 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican37.8%1,458 votesOthers: 1.3% (50 votes).
Most votes in Harpswell: Kamala D Harris
Maine: Harris 52.4%, Trump 45.5%
of Harpswell’s 4,569 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Maine: 75%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Harpswell: Angus S King Jr
Maine: Jr 52.1%, Kouzounas 34.6%
President, 2024: Harpswell, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harpswell | 60.9% | 37.8% | 1.3% | 3,859 |
| 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 Harpswell.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: harpswell.maine.gov ↗
- 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 Harpswell compares with the towns next door
Harpswell spent $936 per resident in 2022; the 4 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $855 to $3,410. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Phippsburg | $855 | $2,034 |
| Freeport | $1,128 | $5,042 |
| West Bath | $2,107 runs schools | $3,516 |
| Brunswick | $3,410 runs schools | $4,756 |
| Chebeague Island | estimate | $6,406 |
| Harpswell | $936 | $3,141 |
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 Harpswell’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Harpswell’s government
How much does Harpswell spend per resident?
About $936 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 $936 was more than 64% 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 Harpswell?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,141 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.52% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.02% across Maine. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see harpswell.maine.gov.
Who runs Harpswell’s government?
See harpswell.maine.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Harpswell yet.
How did Harpswell vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 60.9%, Donald J Trump 37.8% (3,859 votes, official results). . Maine: Harris 52.4%, Trump 45.5%.
How many people work for Harpswell?
17 full-time and 6 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $89,470 (about $1.1M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Harpswell in the state legislature?
State Senate District 23 (Mattie Daughtry) and State House District 99 (Cheryl Golek). The House district also covers parts of 1 neighboring town. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Harpswell’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 →