Seawall Campground · Photo: Suekoehler · CC BY-SA 4.0Southwest Harbor spent more per resident in 2022 than 77% of similar towns
Southwest Harbor’s town government spent $7.2 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $4,008 per resident.
What stands out about how Southwest Harbor is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$4,008 per resident in 2022: more than 77% of them
Southwest Harbor’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($4,008 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. Southwest Harbor spent more than 77% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($417,000), 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 run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Southwest Harbor itself left out).
About $4,008 per resident a year, or $10.98 a day
Schools are part of the town’s budget, so they lead the receipt: 55% of day-to-day spending.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Revenue is well above spending. That usually means Southwest Harbor collects property taxes for the school district and county and passes them on, so only its own spending is counted.
Southwest Harbor 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.
No trend yet
Southwest Harbor reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
full-time in March 2025, up from 37 in 2022. Both are Census estimates.
The typical homeowner pays $3,479 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.81% 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 Southwest Harbor’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 Southwest Harbor’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Southwest Harbor →
Who’s in charge in Southwest Harbor
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time town employee for every 45 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 2022 finance file (1,793).
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
Southwest Harbor’s high school district, shared with Bar Harbor, Mount Desert, Tremont. The schools are run by Southwest Harbor, 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.
Southwest Harbor · $37,828 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
How Southwest Harbor voted in 2024
Official results for Southwest Harbor’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat65.1%737 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican33.1%375 votesOthers: 1.8% (20 votes).
Most votes in Southwest Harbor: Kamala D Harris
Maine: Harris 52.4%, Trump 45.5%
of Southwest Harbor’s 1,331 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Maine: 75%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Southwest Harbor: Angus S King Jr
Maine: Jr 52.1%, Kouzounas 34.6%
President, 2024: Southwest Harbor, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest Harbor | 65.1% | 33.1% | 1.8% | 1,132 |
| 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 Southwest Harbor.
- 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 Southwest Harbor compares with the towns next door
Southwest Harbor spent $4,008 per resident in 2022; the 3 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $3,343 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Tremont | $3,343 runs schools | $2,822 |
| Mount Desert | $6,055 runs schools | $3,512 |
| Cranberry Isles | $9,783 runs schools | $3,273 |
| Frenchboro | estimate | $5,250 |
| Southwest Harbor | $4,008 | $3,479 |
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 Southwest Harbor’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Southwest Harbor’s government
How much does Southwest Harbor spend per resident?
About $4,008 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 $4,008 was more than 77% of 31 Maine towns and townships of under 2,500 that run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Southwest Harbor?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,479 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.81% 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 Southwest Harbor’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Southwest Harbor yet.
How did Southwest Harbor vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 65.1%, Donald J Trump 33.1% (1,132 votes, official results). . Maine: Harris 52.4%, Trump 45.5%.
How many people work for Southwest Harbor?
40 full-time and 70 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $353,539 (about $4.2M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Southwest Harbor in the state legislature?
State Senate District 7 (Nicole Grohoski) and State House District 15 (Holly Eaton). The House district also covers eight other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Southwest Harbor’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 →