Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0How is Van Buren run?
Van Buren’s town government spent $1.7 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $841 per resident. That is its newest year reported to the Census Bureau.
What stands out about how Van Buren is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
School Administrative District 24
Van Buren’s K–12 school district, shared with Cyr plantation, Hamlin. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $23,342 per pupil, $11,881 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 $841 per resident a year, or $2.30 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 42%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$841 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar towns
Van Buren’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($841 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 100 Maine towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $748, and the middle half spent $568–$1,149. Van Buren spent more than 56% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($139,000), 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 don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Van Buren itself left out).
No trend yet
Van Buren reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau (2023 is an estimate), so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $1,415 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.45% 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 Van Buren’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 Van Buren’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Van Buren →
Who’s in charge in Van Buren
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time town employee for every 153 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 (1,983).
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 Van Buren voted in 2024
Official results for Van Buren’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Donald J TrumpRepublican50.5%448 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat48.3%429 votesOthers: 1.2% (11 votes).
Most votes in Van Buren: Donald J Trump
Maine: Harris 52.4%, Trump 45.5%
of Van Buren’s 1,523 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Maine: 75%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Van Buren: Angus S King Jr
Maine: Jr 52.1%, Kouzounas 34.6%
President, 2024: Van Buren, its county and the state
| Trump | Harris | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Van Buren | 50.5% | 48.3% | 1.2% | 888 |
| 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 Van Buren.
- 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 Van Buren compares with the towns next door
Van Buren spent $841 per resident in 2022. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Grand Isle | estimate | $1,006 |
| Hamlin | estimate | $1,339 |
| Cyr plantation | estimate | $1,196 |
| Van Buren | $841 | $1,415 |
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 Van Buren’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Van Buren’s government
How much does Van Buren spend per resident?
About $841 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 $841 was more than 56% of 100 Maine towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Van Buren?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,415 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.45% 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 Van Buren’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Van Buren yet.
How did Van Buren vote in 2024?
For president, Donald J Trump 50.5%, Kamala D Harris 48.3% (888 votes, official results). . Maine: Harris 52.4%, Trump 45.5%.
How many people work for Van Buren?
13 full-time and 17 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $61,843 (about $742,116 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Van Buren in the state legislature?
State Senate District 1 (Sue Bernard) and State House District 2 (Roger Albert). The House district also covers five other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Van Buren’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 →