St. Mary's-By-The-Sea · Photo: Suekoehler · CC BY-SA 4.0Mount Desert spent more per resident in 2022 than 94% of similar towns
Mount Desert’s town government spent $15.2 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2023, about $6,907 per resident. That is its newest year reported to the Census Bureau.
What stands out about how Mount Desert is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$6,055 per resident in 2022: more than 94% of them
Mount Desert’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($6,055 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–$3,538. Mount Desert spent more than 94% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($1.8 million), 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 run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Mount Desert itself left out).
About $6,907 per resident a year, or $18.92 a day
Schools are part of the town’s budget, so they lead the receipt: 32% of day-to-day spending.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Mount Desert 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.
Day-to-day spending is up 18% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Mount Desert 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: $6,055 · 2023: $6,907.
full-time in March 2025, up from 76 in 2022. Both are Census estimates.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $3,512 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.67% 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 Mount Desert’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 Mount Desert’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Mount Desert →
Who’s in charge in Mount Desert
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Mount Desert’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on mtdesert.org ↗.
One full-time town employee for every 26 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2023 finance file (2,194).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Mount Desert Community School District
Mount Desert’s high school district, shared with Bar Harbor, Southwest Harbor, Tremont. The schools are run by Mount Desert, so this money is part of the budget above.
Of the $27,878 per pupil, $16,530 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.
Mount Desert · $31,057 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
How Mount Desert voted in 2024
Official results for Mount Desert’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat73.0%1,019 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican24.1%336 votesOthers: 2.9% (40 votes).
Most votes in Mount Desert: Kamala D Harris
Maine: Harris 52.4%, Trump 45.5%
Most votes in Mount Desert: Angus S King Jr
Maine: Jr 52.1%, Kouzounas 34.6%
President, 2024: Mount Desert, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Desert | 73.0% | 24.1% | 2.9% | 1,395 |
| 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 Mount Desert.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: mtdesert.org ↗
- 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 Mount Desert compares with the towns next door
Mount Desert spent $6,055 per resident in 2022; the 5 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $2,689 to $9,783. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Trenton | $2,689 runs schools | $2,310 |
| Tremont | $3,343 runs schools | $2,822 |
| Bar Harbor | $3,468 runs schools | $4,279 |
| Southwest Harbor | $4,008 runs schools | $3,479 |
| Cranberry Isles | $9,783 runs schools | $3,273 |
| Blue Hill | estimate | $2,907 |
| Surry | estimate | $1,903 |
| Mount Desert | $6,055 | $3,512 |
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 Mount Desert’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Mount Desert’s government
How much does Mount Desert spend per resident?
About $6,907 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2023, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $6,055 was more than 94% of 31 Maine towns and townships of under 2,500 that run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Mount Desert?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,512 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.67% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.02% across Maine. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see mtdesert.org.
Who runs Mount Desert’s government?
See mtdesert.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Mount Desert yet.
How did Mount Desert vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 73.0%, Donald J Trump 24.1% (1,395 votes, official results). . Maine: Harris 52.4%, Trump 45.5%.
How many people work for Mount Desert?
85 full-time and 64 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $602,497 (about $7.2M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Mount Desert in the state legislature?
State Senate District 7 (Nicole Grohoski) and State House District 14 (Gary Friedmann). The House district also covers three neighboring towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Mount Desert’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 →