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Town Hall · Hope

In Hope, 86% of adult citizens voted for president in 2024, more than across Maine

Hope’s town government spent $5 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $2,925 per resident.

Town website
Election Day

Today

General election in Maine.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$5.0M
year to June 30, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$2,925
In 2022: $2,925, more than 55% of 31 similar towns
Long-term debt
$110,000
end of FY2022, reported
Town staff, 2022
41
full-time · 48 part-time · March payroll $193,407
Typical tax bill
$3,842
1.03% of home value · ME 1.02%

What stands out about how Hope is run

Read from the town’s budget and official records.

The school district

Five Town Community School District

Hope’s high school district, shared with Appleton, Camden, Lincolnville, Rockport. The schools are run by Hope, so this money is part of the budget above.

Schools in Hope →
$21,908
per pupil · ME $20,630
748
students
None
long-term debt

Of the $21,908 per pupil, $11,921 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.

The district: schools, scores and graduation →

Where the district’s money comes from
Local 84%State 14%Federal 2%

Maine districts overall: 52% local, 40% state, 8% federal.

Also serving Hope

Hope · $28,664 per pupil

School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $2,925 per resident a year, or $8.01 a day

Schools are part of the town’s budget, so they lead the receipt: 75% of day-to-day spending.

Where the money comes from
Property taxes 62%From the state 36%Interest, fines & other 1%Other taxes & licenses <1%Fees & charges <1%From the federal government <1%
Schools included

Hope runs its own schools, so school spending is part of this budget. Comparisons are with Maine towns and townships of under 2,500 that run their own schools.

Not in the receipt.Building projects $805,000; interest on debt $3,000; payments to other governments $52,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $5.8 million.
Compared with similar places

$2,925 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar towns

Hope’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($2,925 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 31 Maine towns and townships of under 2,500 that run their own schools: the median was $2,736, and the middle half spent $2,218–$3,830. Hope spent more than 55% of them.

Middle half of the group, $2,218–$3,830Median $2,736Hope

Includes sewer and trash ($58,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →

The group
31

Maine towns and townships of under 2,500 that run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Hope itself left out).

Over the years

No trend yet

Hope reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $3,842 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.03% of the home’s value, vs 1.02% across Maine.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Camden$5,832
Hope$3,842
Appleton$3,588
Lincolnville$3,544
Union$3,276
Maine$3,036
$3,842
typical bill a year
1.03%
effective rate
$373,400
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Hope’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 Hope’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Hope →

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Hope

Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.

See hopemaine.org for Hope’s current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Hope yet.hopemaine.org ↗
Agendas

Hope’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on hopemaine.org ↗.

Who works for Hope

One full-time town employee for every 41 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 (1,698).

By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022

Schools40 + 12 pt
Fire0 + 23 pt
Administration & buildings1 + 10 pt
Courts, inspections & corrections0 + 1 pt
Roads & transportation0 + 1 pt
Other0 + 1 pt
41
full-time
48
part-time
$193,407
payroll for March 2022
$2.3M
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$47,000
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
Compared, 2022.Hope had 24.1 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 17 of the 31 Maine towns and townships of under 2,500 that run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 13.8: Hope had more than 76% of them. Same group and year as the budget comparison.

The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.

Elections · 2024 general election

How Hope voted in 2024

Official results for Hope’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.

President1,138 votes · results as certified
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat57.2%651 votes
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican40.1%456 votes

Others: 2.7% (31 votes).

Most votes in Hope: Kamala D Harris

Maine: Harris 52.4%, Trump 45.5%

Turnout
86%

of Hope’s 1,322 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Maine: 75%.

Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).

U.S. Senate1,127 votes
Angus S King Jr56.1%
Demi KouzounasRepublican32.6%
Others11.4%

Most votes in Hope: Angus S King Jr

Maine: Jr 52.1%, Kouzounas 34.6%

President, 2024: Hope, its county and the state

HarrisTrumpOthersVotes
Hope57.2%40.1%2.7%1,138
Maine52.4%45.5%2.1%831,375
DemocratRepublicanLibertarianIndependent / other

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.

Who represents Hope

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Hope.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your townTown government
  2. 2
    Maine HouseState representatives
  3. 3
    Maine SenateState senator
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Maine

Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.

Next door

How Hope compares with the towns next door

Hope spent $2,925 per resident in 2022; the 2 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $846 to $1,435. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.

Spends the leastSpends the mostEstimate or no figures
TownDay-to-day, per resident (2022)Tax bill
Union$846$3,276
Camden$1,435$5,832
Appletonestimate$3,588
Lincolnvilleestimate$3,544
Hope$2,925$3,842

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 Hope’s government

The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Hope’s government

How much does Hope spend per resident?

About $2,925 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $2,925 was more than 55% of 31 Maine towns and townships of under 2,500 that run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Hope?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,842 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.03% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.02% across Maine. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see hopemaine.org.

Who runs Hope’s government?

See hopemaine.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Hope yet.

How did Hope vote in 2024?

For president, Kamala D Harris 57.2%, Donald J Trump 40.1% (1,138 votes, official results). . Maine: Harris 52.4%, Trump 45.5%.

How many people work for Hope?

41 full-time and 48 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $193,407 (about $2.3M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Hope in the state legislature?

State Senate District 12 (Pinny Beebe-Center) and State House District 44 (Bill Pluecker). The House district also covers two neighboring towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Hope’s government

Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.

Town Square →
Ask neighbors

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 →