Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0Houlton spent more per resident in 2022 than 85% of similar towns
Houlton’s town government spent $7.7 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, about $1,265 per resident. The airport ($171,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Houlton is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$1,203 per resident in 2022: more than 85% of them
Houlton’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,203 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–$1,073. Houlton spent more than 85% 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 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Houlton itself left out).
About $1,265 per resident a year, or $3.47 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 15%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Revenue is well above spending. That usually means Houlton collects property taxes for the school district and county and passes them on, so only its own spending is counted.
Day-to-day spending is up 11% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Houlton reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.
Day-to-day spending by fiscal year
Per resident: 2022: $1,203 · 2024: $1,265. Per resident it went from $1,203 to $1,265 (up 5%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 5,766 to 6,064.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $1,707 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.25% 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 Houlton’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 Houlton’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Houlton →
Who’s in charge in Houlton
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Houlton’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on houlton-maine.com ↗.
One full-time town employee for every 117 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (6,064).
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 29
Houlton’s K–12 school district, shared with Hammond, Littleton, Monticello. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $15,207 per pupil, $8,479 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 Houlton voted in 2024
Official results for Houlton’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Donald J TrumpRepublican62.1%1,672 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat36.5%983 votesOthers: 1.4% (37 votes).
Most votes in Houlton: Donald J Trump
Maine: Harris 52.4%, Trump 45.5%
of Houlton’s 4,885 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Maine: 75%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Houlton: Angus S King Jr
Maine: Jr 52.1%, Kouzounas 34.6%
President, 2024: Houlton, its county and the state
| Trump | Harris | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houlton | 62.1% | 36.5% | 1.4% | 2,692 |
| 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 Houlton.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: houlton-maine.com ↗
- 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 Houlton compares with the towns next door
Houlton spent $1,203 per resident in 2022; the 2 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $197 to $1,210. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Ludlow | $197 | $1,655 |
| Hodgdon | $1,210 | $1,614 |
| Littleton | estimate | $1,556 |
| New Limerick | estimate | $1,221 |
| Houlton | $1,203 | $1,707 |
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 Houlton’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Houlton’s government
How much does Houlton spend per resident?
About $1,265 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,203 was more than 85% 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 Houlton?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,707 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.25% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.02% across Maine. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see houlton-maine.com.
Who runs Houlton’s government?
See houlton-maine.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Houlton yet.
How did Houlton vote in 2024?
For president, Donald J Trump 62.1%, Kamala D Harris 36.5% (2,692 votes, official results). . Maine: Harris 52.4%, Trump 45.5%.
How many people work for Houlton?
52 full-time and 14 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $231,222 (about $2.8M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Houlton in the state legislature?
State Senate District 2 (Trey Stewart) and State House District 7 (Gregg Swallow). The House district also covers four other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Houlton’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 →