ME
Maine
FIPS 23 · Population 1,387,817
6 Sources
Updated June 22, 2026
1.4M ▲
Population
334,922,499 U.S.
$74,733 ▲
Median Income
$80,734 national
$99.2B
GDP
3%
Unemployment
4% national
County Map
Click a county to view its economic profile
Demographics & Population
Census Bureau American Community Survey 2024 · 5-Year Estimates
Household Income
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · American Community Survey 2024 5-Year Estimates
Median Household
$74,733
Per Capita
$43,742
Mean Household
$100,102
Poverty Rate
10.7% ▼
Age & Race / Ethnicity
Source: Census Bureau ACS 2024 · Tables B01001, B02001, B03003
Cohorts
Under 18 · 18.1%
18-34 · 20%
35-54 · 24.4%
55-64 · 15.1%
65+ · 22.4%
Race & Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino is an ethnic category and overlaps with the race categories above.
Educational Attainment
Source: Census Bureau ACS 2024 · Table B15003 · Population 25+
94.8%
High School+
National: 89.6%
▲ +5.2 pts
36.2%
Bachelor's+
National: 35.7%
▲ +0.5 pts
13.7%
Graduate+
National: 14.1%
▼ 0.4 pts
Employment Overview
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · American Community Survey 2024 5-Year Estimates
1,387,817
Population
721,822
Labor Force
Employed
692,551
Unemployment Rate BLS LAUS 2024 annual
3%
Mean Commute 2 min below national avg
24.6 min
Work From Home vs 15.1% national
15.9%
Maine's median household income sits 7% below the national median. At 10.7%, its poverty rate runs 1.8 pts below the ~12.5% national level, relevant for federal funding eligibility narratives. Bachelor's-or-higher attainment of 36.2% exceeds the national average of 35.7%.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 2024 5-Year Estimates (released December 2025). Figures reflect the most recent Census release, older news reports may cite prior vintages.
Key Takeaways
- Aging population: Median age of 45 is materially above the U.S. norm; succession planning and senior-services demand are real factors.
Economy & Industry
Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW · Bureau of Economic Analysis
Key Takeaways
- Largest sector: Health Care and Social Assistance employs 113,736 workers (25.7% of the tracked sectors), at an average wage of $66,314.
- Economic scale: State GDP of $99.2B (2024).
Source: BLS QCEW + BEA Regional GDP.
Industry Concentration
Location Quotient measures regional specialization vs. national average. LQ > 1.0 = concentrated.
Attraction Opportunities - Below-Average Industries
LQ < 0.5, below-average employment, potential attraction targets. Source: BLS QCEW · 3-digit NAICS sub-sector
0.11x
Air Transportation
270 employed
0.17x
Primary Metal Manufacturing
262 employed
0.21x
Electrical Equipment, Appliance Manufacturing
372 employed
0.24x
Support Activities for Agriculture and Forestry
380 employed
0.29x
Pipeline Transportation
69 employed
0.33x
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
607 employed
0.36x
Machinery Manufacturing
1,637 employed
0.39x
Computing Infrastructure Providers and Data Processing
794 employed
Key Takeaways
- Top specialization: Fishing, Hunting and Trapping concentrates at 21.11x the national norm, top-decile concentration, the kind of signature sector that defines a region's economic identity.
- Cluster depth: 10 sub-sectors register LQ ≥ 1.5, suggesting an interconnected industrial base across the state.
- Attraction whitespace: 8 sub-sectors register LQ < 0.5, candidates for diversification or recruitment.
Source: BLS QCEW sub-sector Location Quotients.
Housing & Affordability
Census ACS · HUD Fair Market Rents FY2026
Housing Overview
Source: Census Bureau ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates · Tables B25001, B25077, B25064
$296,600 ▲
Median Home Value vs 2019
$1,139 ▲
Rent/Mo
74.3% ▲
Owner-Occ
20.6% ▼
Vacancy
4.0x
Home Value to Income Ratio
vs. ~4.1x national average
HUD Fair Market Rents (Statewide)
Renter-household-weighted average across 529 Fair Market Rent areas · Source: HUD · Fair Market Rents FY2026
Studio
$1,222/mo$863 to $1,518
1 Bedroom
$1,323/mo$949 to $1,678
2 Bedroom
$1,681/mo$1,224 to $2,202
3 Bedroom
$2,152/mo$1,672 to $2,640
4 Bedroom
$2,397/mo$1,739 to $3,694
30% of monthly median household income (~$1,868/mo) · rents above this line are typically considered cost-burdened.
Key Takeaways
- In line with national: Home value to income ratio of 4.0x sits near the ~4.1x national average; affordability is neither a clear advantage nor a recruitment friction.
- High home ownership: 74.3% owner-occupied; rental supply may be tight for incoming workers.
- Elevated vacancy: 20.6% vacancy rate; potential redevelopment opportunity.
Source: Census ACS housing tables.
Workforce Pipeline
Labor force readiness, commuting, and workforce composition
Labor Market Overview
Source: Census ACS 2024 · Tables B01001, B23025, B08303, B08301
826,857 ▲
Working Age (18-64) vs 2019
▼ vs 2019
Mean Commute
24.6 min
Work From Home
15.9%
Education & Talent Pipeline
Source: Census ACS 2024 · Table B15003 · College Scorecard
Bachelor's+
36.2%
HS Diploma+
94.8%
Top Institutions
Degrees, certificates, and other credentials awarded last academic year (College Scorecard).
2,876/yr
1,918/yr
1,557/yr
1,065/yr
804/yr
734/yr
Aging Workforce
Source: Census Bureau ACS · Derived from age & employment tables
25.4%
55-64 of working-age population (18-64)
Elevated retirement risk, above the 20% threshold. Succession planning recommended.
Workforce by Occupation
Source: Census ACS 2024 · Table C24010 · Civilian employed population 16+
Management / Professional
42.5%
Service
15.8%
Sales & Office
19.6%
Construction / Maint.
10.3%
Production / Transport
11.9%
Bars scaled 2× for visual differentiation; percentage labels show actual share of 692,551 employed workers.
Key Takeaways
- Succession risk is real: 25.4% of working-age residents are 55-64. Plan for retirements over the next decade and pair attraction strategy with talent retention.
Source: ACS workforce data.
County Profiles
16 counties in Maine
Androscoggin County
FIPS 23001
Aroostook County
FIPS 23003
Cumberland County
FIPS 23005
Franklin County
FIPS 23007
Hancock County
FIPS 23009
Kennebec County
FIPS 23011
Knox County
FIPS 23013
Lincoln County
FIPS 23015
Oxford County
FIPS 23017
Penobscot County
FIPS 23019
Piscataquis County
FIPS 23021
Sagadahoc County
FIPS 23023
Somerset County
FIPS 23025
Waldo County
FIPS 23027
Washington County
FIPS 23029
York County
FIPS 23031
AI Insights
AI-assisted analysis, drawn from 6 federal data sources
Sample AI Insight
Maine shows strong potential for fishing, hunting and trapping attraction, with a 21.11x concentration and 659 jobs in this sub-sector. Near-term succession risk is elevated, with 25.4% of the working-age population within 10 years of retirement age.
Cluster depth across fishing, hunting and trapping, leather and allied product manufacturing, and forestry and logging creates supply-chain attraction leverage, a structural advantage for industrial recruitment.
Industry Shift Analysis
Manufacturing Automation Risk
High
Healthcare Growth Forecast
+4.2% CAGR
Remote Work Migration
67/100
Prospect Match Scores
Advanced Manufacturing
92/100
Life Sciences
84/100
Data Centers
71/100
Illustrative example
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Data Sources
Updated from official federal government data.
Census ACS 5-Year2024
BLS QCEW2025
BEA Regional GDP2024
Census CBP2024
HUD Fair Market RentsFY2026
USAspending.govFY2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Key economic and demographic figures for Maine, from federal data sources.
What is the population of Maine?
1,387,817 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates).
What is the median household income in Maine?
$74,733 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Maine?
3% (2024 annual average, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS).
What is the GDP of Maine?
$99.2B (BEA SAGDP (state GDP)).
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