Maine population: the oldest state, growing through newcomers

A record 1.4 million, and the fastest growth in the Northeast since 2020

The July 2025 estimate of 1,414,874 is the highest population Maine has ever had. The state holds 0.41% of the US population and is the 3rd smallest in the Northeast, only slightly smaller than its one neighbor, New Hampshire (1,415,342¹).

Growth since the 2020 Census has been modest in absolute terms, 51,656 people, but relative to size it outpaced the nation. Maine's 3.79% increase since April 2020 is 0.7 percentage points above the US figure (3.10%) and the highest in the Northeast¹. In the decade before, the census-to-census gain from 2010 to 2020 was only 2.6%, 4.8 percentage points below the US figure (7.4%)⁶.

MaineNew HampshireVermontUnited States

Source: Census Bureau, Intercensal Estimates of the Resident Population for States, 2000-2010; Census Bureau, Intercensal Estimates of the Resident Population for States, 2010-2020; Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025. July 1 estimates: intercensal series for 2000–2019, Vintage 2025 for 2020–2025.

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Year	Maine	New Hampshire	Vermont	United States
2000	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0
2001	100.7	101.3	100.4	101.0
2002	101.5	102.4	101.0	101.9
2003	102.3	103.2	101.4	102.8
2004	102.9	104.1	101.7	103.8
2005	103.3	104.7	101.9	104.7
2006	103.6	105.5	102.2	105.7
2007	103.9	105.9	102.3	106.8
2008	104.2	106.1	102.4	107.8
2009	104.1	106.1	102.5	108.7
2010	104.0	106.2	102.7	109.6
2011	104.1	106.6	103.3	110.5
2012	104.2	107.1	103.5	111.4
2013	104.4	107.4	103.8	112.2
2014	104.7	108.0	104.0	113.1
2015	104.6	108.4	104.3	114.1
2016	105.0	109.0	104.4	115.0
2017	105.3	109.6	104.8	115.8
2018	105.8	110.1	105.1	116.4
2019	106.3	110.6	105.3	117.0
2020	106.8	111.2	105.5	117.5
2021	108.0	111.9	106.2	117.7
2022	109.0	112.6	106.2	118.4
2023	109.8	113.0	106.3	119.3
2024	110.3	113.6	106.1	120.5
2025	110.8	114.2	105.7	121.1

Yearly gains have been smaller since 2022. The population rose by 6,436 in the year to July 2025, a rate of 0.46%, 0.1 percentage points below the US figure (0.52%)¹.

What percent of Maine is white

The answer depends on how race is counted.

• White and not Hispanic: 89.3% in the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, the 2nd highest share among the states. Only Vermont is higher, at 89.4%.
• White alone, any ethnicity: 91.4%, 19.0 percentage points above the US figure (72.3%)¹¹.
• White alone or with another race: 94.6% (±0.3 percentage points¹²) in the 2025 American Community Survey (ACS), which counts everyone who reported white, including multiracial residents.

Vermont89.4%

Maine89.3%

West Virginia88.7%

New Hampshire86.9%

Montana83.2%

Wyoming81.2%

Iowa81.0%

North Dakota79.7%

United States56.1%

Source: Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025. Period: July 1, 2025.

Show the numbers

State	White alone, not Hispanic
Vermont	89.4%
Maine	89.3%
West Virginia	88.7%
New Hampshire	86.9%
Montana	83.2%
Wyoming	81.2%
Iowa	81.0%
North Dakota	79.7%
United States	56.1%

The share is falling. The survey measure of non-Hispanic white residents was 96.0%¹³ in 2005 and 87.2% (±0.4 percentage points) in 2025, down from 89.1% in 2024². The population estimates show the same direction: 89.3% in 2025, down from 91.3% in 2020¹¹.

MaineUnited States

Source: Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2005-2019 and 2021-2025. ACS 1-year estimates; no standard 1-year release for 2020. Shaded band: 90% margin of error.

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Year	Maine	United States
2005	96.0% ±0.1	66.8% ±0.0
2006	95.3% ±0.2	66.2% ±0.0
2007	94.5% ±0.2	65.8% ±0.0
2008	95.2% ±0.1	65.4% ±0.0
2009	94.2% ±0.3	64.9% ±0.0
2010	94.5% ±0.0	63.7% ±0.0
2011	94.3% ±0.0	63.3% ±0.0
2012	94.1% ±0.0	62.8% ±0.0
2013	93.9% ±0.1	62.4% ±0.0
2014	93.7% ±0.1	61.9% ±0.0
2015	93.6% ±0.0	61.5% ±0.0
2016	93.4% ±0.0	61.1% ±0.0
2017	93.4% ±0.1	60.6% ±0.0
2018	93.0% ±0.1	60.2% ±0.0
2019	92.8% ±0.1	60.0% ±0.0
2021	90.0% ±0.4	58.1% ±0.0
2022	90.2% ±0.3	57.7% ±0.0
2023	89.5% ±0.4	57.1% ±0.0
2024	89.1% ±0.3	56.3% ±0.0
2025	87.2% ±0.4	55.0% ±0.0

The groups that grew are small. Black residents of any ethnicity are 2.9% of the population, up from 2.0% in 2020; the Hispanic or Latino share is 2.8%, up from 2.0% in 2020, and still tied for 2nd lowest among the states. Asian residents are 1.6%, 5th lowest¹¹. In the ACS, non-Hispanic residents of two or more races rose to 5.5%, up from 4.5% in 2024². On the Census Bureau's diversity index, the chance that two residents chosen at random belong to different groups, Maine scores 23.5, the 3rd least diverse¹⁴ state.

Single group (adds to 100%)Alone or in combination with other races

White, not Hispanic87.2% 94.6%

Two or more races, not Hispanic5.5%

Hispanic or Latino (any race)2.7%

Black, not Hispanic2.4% 3.6%

Asian, not Hispanic1.4% 2.4%

American Indian and Alaska Native, not Hispanic0.4% 2.7%

Some other race, not Hispanic0.3%

Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, not Hispanic0.0% 0.2%

Source: Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2025, table B03002; Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2025, table B02009. The dark bars are mutually exclusive and add to 100%. The light bars count everyone who reported the race, alone or with another race and of any ethnicity, so they overlap and add to more than 100%.

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Group	Share (single group)	MOE	Alone or in combination
White, not Hispanic	87.2%	±0.4	94.6%
Two or more races, not Hispanic	5.5%	±0.4	–
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	2.7%	±0.1	–
Black, not Hispanic	2.4%	±0.2	3.6%
Asian, not Hispanic	1.4%	±0.1	2.4%
American Indian and Alaska Native, not Hispanic	0.4%	±0.1	2.7%
Some other race, not Hispanic	0.3%	±0.1	–
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, not Hispanic	0.0%		0.2%

Maine population by age

Maine is the oldest state by median age and by the share of residents 65 and older. Its median age of 45.1 years is 5.6 years above the US figure (39.5 years); Vermont follows at 44.6 years and New Hampshire at 44.2 years³. The median has risen from 41.2 years in 2005, when the national figure was 36.4 years¹³.

MenWomenUnited States

MenWomen

85+

80–84

75–79

70–74

65–69

60–64

55–59

50–54

45–49

40–44

35–39

30–34

25–29

20–24

15–19

10–14

5–9

0–4

Source: Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025. Share of the total population in each age group. Vertical ticks: the United States.

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Age	Men (%)	Women (%)	US men (%)	US women (%)
0-4	2.21	2.05	2.76	2.65
5-9	2.41	2.30	2.96	2.83
10-14	2.59	2.43	3.08	2.95
15-19	3.04	2.83	3.31	3.16
20-24	2.86	2.70	3.43	3.28
25-29	2.92	2.88	3.46	3.37
30-34	3.08	3.05	3.41	3.38
35-39	3.28	3.28	3.38	3.40
40-44	3.05	3.12	3.21	3.27
45-49	2.79	2.87	2.93	3.03
50-54	2.86	2.94	2.83	2.96
55-59	3.10	3.33	2.86	3.02
60-64	3.57	3.89	2.96	3.21
65-69	3.52	3.94	2.75	3.08
70-74	3.05	3.46	2.26	2.64
75-79	2.35	2.70	1.71	2.08
80-84	1.34	1.65	1.00	1.32
85+	0.98	1.57	0.78	1.28

The pyramid is top-heavy. Residents aged 65 and older are 24.6% of the population, 5.7 percentage points above the US figure (18.9%) and up from 21.9% in 2020. They now number 347,617, against 244,245 children under 18. The child share, 17.3%, is tied for 2nd lowest among the states, and children under 5 are 4.3%, the 2nd lowest share. Residents aged 85 and older make up 2.6%, the 3rd highest¹¹.

What this means for the working-age population: Maine has 42.2 residents aged 65 and older for every 100 aged 18 to 64. That old-age dependency ratio is the highest in the nation and 34% above the US figure (31.5), up from 36.8 in 2020¹¹.

Maine42.2

Vermont40.9

Delaware39.6

Hawaii39.2

Florida39.1

West Virginia38.9

New Hampshire38.5

Montana38.5

Pennsylvania36.4

New Mexico36.2

United States31.5

Source: Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025. Period: July 1, 2025.

Show the numbers

State	Old-age dependency ratio, 2025
Maine	42.2
Vermont	40.9
Delaware	39.6
Hawaii	39.2
Florida	39.1
West Virginia	38.9
New Hampshire	38.5
Montana	38.5
Pennsylvania	36.4
New Mexico	36.2
United States	31.5

More deaths than births, every year since 2020

In the year to June 2025 Maine recorded 11,783 births and 16,802 deaths, a natural decrease of −5,019. Per resident, that is −3.6 per 1,000 residents, the 2nd lowest rate in the country after West Virginia. Maine's birth rate of 8.3 per 1,000 residents is 21% below the US figure (10.6 per 1,000 residents), and its death rate of 11.9 per 1,000 residents is 31% above the US figure (9.1 per 1,000 residents)¹.

Michigan−0.5

Delaware−0.5

Pennsylvania−0.8

Mississippi−0.9

Oregon−0.9

New Mexico−0.9

New Hampshire−1.5

Vermont−2.7

Maine−3.6

West Virginia−4.5

Source: Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025. Period: July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025.

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State	Natural change rate per 1,000
Michigan	−0.5
Delaware	−0.5
Pennsylvania	−0.8
Mississippi	−0.9
Oregon	−0.9
New Mexico	−0.9
New Hampshire	−1.5
Vermont	−2.7
Maine	−3.6
West Virginia	−4.5

Since April 2020, natural change has come to −26,514. Migration more than made up the difference: net migration added 77,918, of which 56,775 came from other states and 21,143 from abroad. Maine's net gain from other states over that period is highest in the Northeast¹.

The domestic gain shrank from 18,101 in the year to June 2021 to 5,189 in 2024, then rose to 7,406 in 2025. Relative to population, the 2025 gain of 5.2 per 1,000 residents is the 7th highest in the country and highest in the Northeast. Without it the state would have shrunk: net domestic migration alone equaled 115%¹ of the year's growth.

Who moves to Maine, and from where

Maine's largest exchanges of residents are with Massachusetts and New Hampshire. In the Census Bureau's 2024 migration flows, the largest group of new arrivals came from Massachusetts (6,723), followed by New Hampshire (4,373); the two flows are not statistically different. Almost as many people left for Massachusetts (6,746), so the net exchange with that state is close to zero. Florida appears on both sides: 3,192 arrivals and 3,261¹⁶ departures.

Moved to Maine from

Massachusetts6,723 ±2,509

New Hampshire4,373 ±1,699

Florida3,192 ±1,282

New York1,927 ±803

California1,784 ±875

North Carolina1,266 ±711

Connecticut1,219 ±640

Alaska1,091 ±975

Left Maine for

Massachusetts6,746 ±2,201

Florida3,261 ±1,999

New Hampshire3,115 ±965

North Carolina2,542 ±1,715

California1,860 ±1,028

New York1,326 ±643

Oklahoma863 ±859

Vermont726 ±476

Source: Census Bureau, State-to-State Migration Flows, 2024. People aged 1 and over who lived in another state a year earlier (and the reverse). Survey estimates: whiskers show the 90% margin of error.

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State	Moved in from	Moved out to
Massachusetts	6,723 ±2,509	6,746 ±2,201
New Hampshire	4,373 ±1,699	3,115 ±965
Florida	3,192 ±1,282	3,261 ±1,999
New York	1,927 ±803	1,326 ±643
California	1,784 ±875	1,860 ±1,028
North Carolina	1,266 ±711	2,542 ±1,715
Connecticut	1,219 ±640	671 ±479
Alaska	1,091 ±975	–
Oklahoma	–	863 ±859
Vermont	–	726 ±476

In total, 35,281 people (±4,498) moved in from other states in 2024 and 26,656 (±4,250) moved out. Another 8,089¹⁶ had lived abroad a year earlier. Tax records point the same way: in 2022–23 Maine gained 6,497 more filers and dependents than it lost, highest in the Northeast, and arriving households reported $502 million¹⁷ more income than departing ones.

In 2025, 56.3% of residents were born in Maine, down from 58.3% in 2024. 24.8% were born elsewhere in the Northeast, 18.5 percentage points above the US figure (6.3%), while the shares born in the South (5.5%), the Midwest (4.0%) and the West (3.5%¹⁸) are all below the national figures.

Census counts since 1790: early growth, then a long slide in rank

The first census, in 1790, counted 96,540 people in the area that is now Maine, which ranked 11th of 18 among the present states with a count. Growth nearly stopped after the mid-1800s: the 1870 count, 626,915, was slightly lower than the 1860 count of 628,279¹⁹.

Source: Census Bureau, Historical Census Statistics on Population Totals by Race, 1790 to 1990; Census Bureau, 2020 Census apportionment results and historical resident population 1910-2020; Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025. Census counts every ten years (April 1); estimates for July 1 after 2020.

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Year	Maine
1790	96,540
1800	151,719
1810	228,705
1820	298,335
1830	399,455
1840	501,793
1850	583,169
1860	628,279
1870	626,915
1880	648,936
1890	661,086
1900	694,466
1910	742,371
1920	768,014
1930	797,423
1940	847,226
1950	913,774
1960	969,265
1970	992,048
1980	1,124,660
1990	1,227,928
2000	1,274,923
2010	1,328,361
2020	1,362,359
2021	1,379,009
2022	1,391,585
2023	1,401,992
2024	1,408,438
2025	1,414,874

Maine has kept growing slowly since, but the country grew faster, so its rank kept sliding: 31st of 51 in 1900, 35th of 51¹⁹ in 1950 and 42nd of 51⁶ in 2020. Today's population is 2.0 times¹ the 1900 count.

French and French Canadian roots

In the 2025 ACS, 137,007 residents reported French ancestry, 9.7% of the population and the highest share of any state. Another 77,326 reported French Canadian ancestry (5.5%), the 3rd highest share. English ancestry, at 20.1%²⁰, is the 2nd highest²¹ share in the country. Residents can report two ancestries, so the groups overlap.

The heritage is also spoken. 25,169 residents aged 5 and older speak French at home, 1.9% and the highest²³ share in the country; 20.8%²² of them speak English less than "very well". Spanish is spoken at home by 1.2% of Maine residents, lowest among the states. Overall, 6.3% speak a language other than English at home, 16.6 percentage points below the US figure (22.9%)²⁴.

Immigrants: few, and more often from Africa

Maine has 67,070 foreign-born residents, 4.7% of the population and 10.0 percentage points below the US figure (14.7%). Where they come from differs from the national pattern: 26.9% were born in Africa, 21.0 percentage points above the US figure (5.9%), and 18.6% in Europe, while Latin America accounts for 16.8%, 33.5 percentage points below the US figure (50.3%). Canada and the rest of Northern America account for 11.2%, down from 15.7% in 2024¹⁸.

Among the detailed ancestry groups in the 2020–2024 survey, 2,617 residents reported Somali ancestry, the 3rd highest²¹ share of any state (a medium-reliability estimate). In fiscal 2024, 1,350²⁵ people in Maine became lawful permanent residents (green-card holders), 1.0 per 1,000 residents, 76% below the US figure (4.0 per 1,000 residents)²⁶.

Passamaquoddy, Penobscot, Micmac and Maliseet residents

In the 2020 Census, 25,462 Maine residents reported American Indian identity alone or with another race, and 6,133 reported it as their only race. Counting people alone or in combination, the largest groups were the Micmac (3,198) and the Passamaquoddy Tribe (2,828), followed by the Cherokee (2,227) and the Penobscot Nation (2,042); 1,219 reported Maliseet. Among people who reported a single tribe and no other race, the Passamaquoddy Tribe was the largest, at 1,531²⁷. A person can report several tribes, so the counts overlap.

The second most rural state, with the most empty homes

At the 2020 Census, 61.4% of Maine residents lived in rural areas, the 2nd highest share after Vermont (64.9%) and 41.4 percentage points above the US figure (20.0%)²⁸. With 45.9 people per square mile, Maine is the 13th least densely populated²⁹ state, and water covers 12.8%³⁰ of its total area.

19.5% of Maine's 771,487³² homes were vacant in 2025 (±0.8 percentage points), the highest in the nation and 9.9 percentage points above the US figure (9.6%)³¹. The Census Bureau counts a home as vacant when no one lives in it at the time of the interview, and homes held for seasonal or occasional use are one of its vacancy categories; a vacant home is not necessarily abandoned or for sale.

Maine19.5% ±0.8

Vermont17.5% ±0.8

Alaska15.6% ±1.1

West Virginia14.2% ±0.8

Alabama13.9% ±0.6

Louisiana13.9% ±0.5

Florida13.6% ±0.3

New Hampshire13.3% ±0.8

United States9.6% ±0.1

Source: Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2025, table B25002. Whiskers show the 90% margin of error; states whose whiskers overlap may not differ significantly. Period: 2025.

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State	Vacant housing units, share	MOE
Maine	19.5%	±0.8
Vermont	17.5%	±0.8
Alaska	15.6%	±1.1
West Virginia	14.2%	±0.8
Alabama	13.9%	±0.6
Louisiana	13.9%	±0.5
Florida	13.6%	±0.3
New Hampshire	13.3%	±0.8
United States	9.6%	±0.1

74.0% of households own their home, the 4th highest³³ rate; 22.4% of homes were built before 1940, 11.1 percentage points above the US figure (11.3%)³⁴; and 7.6% are mobile homes, 2.3 percentage points above the US figure (5.3%)³⁵. The median home value, $370,300, is not statistically different from the US figure ($371,100)³⁶.

Middle incomes and the lowest supplemental poverty rate

Maine's median household income was $81,760 in 2025 (±$1,561), $3,020 (4%) below the US figure ($84,780) and up from $78,453 in 2024 (in 2025 dollars)⁴, a statistically significant rise after inflation. The official poverty rate of 9.9% is 1.9 percentage points below the US figure (11.8%), and child poverty fell to 10.7%, down from 12.7% in 2024⁵.

The Census Bureau's Supplemental Poverty Measure, which accounts for government programs, taxes, work and medical expenses and local housing costs, puts Maine at 6.4% for 2023–2025, the lowest estimate of any state and 6.6 percentage points below the US figure (13.0%). With the survey's margins of error, Maine's rank lies between 48th and 51st³⁷, so it is among the lowest few rather than clearly first.

Prices overall are close to the national level: the Bureau of Economic Analysis puts Maine's 2024 price level at 97.0 (US = 100), 3% below the US figure (100.0). Within that, housing rents are 22% below the US figure (100.6), while utilities are 37% above the US figure (98.4), the 6th most expensive³⁹ level in the country.

One of the least churched states

Maine's congregations counted 30.8% of residents in the 2020 U.S. Religion Census, the 2nd lowest share after New Hampshire. Asked as a share of the population, Christian congregations counted 29.0%, again the 2nd lowest. The Catholic Church holds 52.3%⁴¹ of all adherents in the state.

Two smaller communities are often asked about. The mosque study estimated 16,894 people taking part in Maine's mosques, 1.24% of residents, the 12th highest share; synagogues counted 3,244⁴¹ members. A low adherence rate means fewer people on congregations' books, not necessarily fewer believers, as the religion overview explains.

Small households, few single parents

Maine's 620,759 households average 2.21 people, the 4th smallest⁴³ in the country. Only 60.4% are family households, the 4th lowest share, and 29.9% of households are people living alone. Single mothers head 8.1% of households, 4.0 percentage points below the US figure (12.1%)⁴².

The never-married share of people 15 and older is 30.3%, the 7th lowest, while the divorced share, 12.2%, is 2.0 percentage points above the US figure (10.2%)⁴⁴.

Health, schooling, work and veterans

Life expectancy at birth in 2022, 76.6 years, was 0.9 years below the US figure (77.5 years)⁴⁵. The age-adjusted drug overdose death rate in 2024 was 35.2 per 100,000, age-adjusted, 52% above the US figure (23.1 per 100,000, age-adjusted)⁴⁶, and 14.4% of adults smoked, 2.8 percentage points above the US figure (11.6%)⁴⁷. The age structure shows in health coverage: 25.7% of residents have Medicare, 6.1 percentage points above the US figure (19.6%)⁴⁸, and 6.8% have no insurance, up from 5.5% in 2024⁴⁹.

95.0% of adults 25 and older have finished high school, 4.4 percentage points above the US figure (90.6%) (its rank lies between 1st and 17th once margins of error are considered), and 38.6% hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 1.2 percentage points above the US figure (37.4%) and up from 37.1% in 2024⁵⁰. The share of residents 16 and older in the labor force is 59.9% (BLS, 2025), 2.5 percentage points below the US figure (62.4%), while unemployment was 3.4%, 0.9 percentage points below the US figure (4.3%)⁵¹. Veterans make up 7.6% of adults, a share tied for 9th highest⁵²; 35.2% of them served in the Vietnam era, 4.3 percentage points above the US figure (30.9%)⁵⁴.

This site covers states only; figures for towns such as Lewiston or Waterville are on data.census.gov.