The U.S. Census Bureau's Population Division recently released updated population estimates for 533 Maine municipalities for the year 2013. These data, compared with population counts from the 2010 Census, indicate which Maine towns and cities are growing in population, and which are shrinking.

In the 2010 census, Maine's population was 1,328,361. The Census Bureau estimates that Maine as a whole lost 59 residents over the 2010-2013 interval – less than a hundredth of one percent of its population.

Still, some municipalities, especially in southern and coastal Maine, are seeing significant growth, while many others, mostly in rural areas of the state, are losing residents.

Mouse over the map to explore town-by-town estimates. Or scroll down to explore different regions in greater detail.

 

Greater Portland

Greater Portland saw the state's greatest population growth. While the city of Portland itself saw a modest gain in population (124 new residents between 2010 and 2013), most of the growth occurred in the city's suburbs. The five municipalities that posted the state's biggest population gains are all in this region.

Maine's five fastest-growing cities and towns

Town

2010 population

2010-2013 gain

Gorham

16,381

458

Windham

17,001

442

Scarborough

18,919

424

Saco

18,482

395

Falmouth

11,185

320

The Census Bureau estimates that Cumberland and York Counties each gained 3,782 and 2,300 new residents, respectively, in the 2010 to 2013 period. With the exceptions of Bridgton and Frye Island, every town in these two counties posted population gains.

 

Greater Bangor

In the Bangor area, population gains in the towns of Hermon, Ellsworth and Orono were largely offset by losses in the city of Bangor, which had an estimated loss of 366 residents.

Penobscot County as a whole lost an estimated 559 residents in the 2010-2013 period, but Hancock County gained 427 people, with significant growth in Ellsworth.

Town

2010 population

2010-2013 gain/loss

Bangor

33,039

-366

Orono

10,362

311

Brewer

9,482

-120

Ellsworth

7,741

134

Hermon

5,416

278

 

Northern Maine

According to the Census Bureau, tiny Springfield, Maine in eastern Penobscot County was the northernmost municipality registering any population growth between 2010 and 2013, with a gain of 8 residents.

Aroostook County lost an estimated 1,815 residents. Presque Isle and Caribou, the county's two largest cities, trailed Augusta and Bangor in the ranks of Maine towns with the largest population losses.

Municipalities with the 5 largest population losses, 2010-2013

Town

2010 population

2010-2013 loss

Bangor

33,039

-366

Augusta

19,136

-343

Presque Isle

9,692

-290

Caribou

8,189

-237

Bath

8,514

-157

 

Small towns, big impact

Another view of the data looks at population gains and losses in terms of annual percentage rates, which gives an idea of population changes on a per-capita basis. This emphasizes the effects of population gains and losses in comparatively small towns. For instance, Hope, in Knox County, gained 115 new residents between 2010 and 2013 — almost as many as Portland – in a town of only 1,651. That's more than 7 new residents moving in for every 100 residents who lived in Hope in 2010.

By contrast, Portland's 124 new residents, in a city of 66,318, add up to a paltry 0.06% annualized growth rate.

5 fastest-growing towns, relative to current population

Town

2010 population

2010-2013 gain

Annualized growth rate

Hope

1,536

115

2.4%

Waldo

762

50

2.1%

Hermon

5,416

278

1.7%

Perry

889

34

1.3%

Acton

2,447

74

1.0%

Census estimates of population changes in such small towns are less statistically reliable than for larger towns, and so this list excludes towns with fewer than 500 residents, such as Burlington in Penobscot County, where the estimate of 34 new residents out of 397 would have yielded a 3.0% annualized growth rate.

2010-2013 population growth, by county

County

2010 population

2010-2013 gain/loss

Percentage gain/loss

Androscoggin

107,702

-98

-0.1%

Aroostook

71,870

-1,815

-2.5%

Cumberland

281,674

3,782

1.3%

Franklin

30,678

-273

-0.9%

Hancock

54,418

427

0.8%

Kennebec

122,151

-987

-0.8%

Knox

39,736

-186

-0.5%

Lincoln

34,457

-369

-1.1%

Oxford

57,833

-556

-1.0%

Penobscot

153,923

-559

-0.4%

Piscataquis

17,535

-411

-2.3%

Sagadahoc

35,293

-280

-0.8%

Somerset

52,228

-522

-1.0%

Waldo

38,786

154

0.4%

Washington

32,856

-666

-2.0%

York

197,131

2,300

1.2%