United States › Maine › Waterville CITY
Waterville Maine · 17,579 residents (2025 est.) · 13.5 sq mi
Time machine
COMPARE TO 1990 Census 2000 Census 2009 ACS 2010 ACS 2011 ACS 2012 ACS 2013 ACS 2014 ACS 2015 ACS 2016 ACS 2017 ACS 2018 ACS 2019 ACS 2020 ACS 2021 ACS 2022 ACS 2023 ACS
The short version
Waterville is a city of 17,077 people in Maine. 49% of homes are owner-occupied. The typical home is worth $184,600, having more than doubled since 2000. That trails the Maine median by roughly 28%. The foreign-born share is 4%. This skews young, with a median age of 35.5.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 35.5
US median: 38.9
Average education
31% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 33%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01
Population & growth from 15,605 in 2000
17,579 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1,262 / sq mi
+8%since 2009
from 1,164 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
from 35.6 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Population, 1990 – 2024
15K 16K 16K 17K 17K 1990 2000 2010 2020 2024 Waterville Age distribution, 2024
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy $53,580
+10%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $26,816 in 2000
US average: $82,259
from $16,430 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
from 16.8% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
from 19.2% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
from 0.448 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Arts, entertainment, food 3.9%
Professional, scientific, technical 2.1%
Transportation & warehousing 1.2%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing 0.4%
Education & health services 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
$184,600
+33%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $76,200 in 2000
US average: $376,019
$978
+32%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $407 in 2000
US average: $1,442
from 49.1% in 2000
51.2% rent
from 9.3% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
from 2.17 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
from 30.4% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
from 45.1% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
from 3.3 in 2009
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity 2000
White, non-Hispanic 95.2%(14,857)
Hispanic / Latino 1.1%(171)
2024
White, non-Hispanic 87.2%(14,888)
from 20 in 2009
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry Ancestry
+ 25 more ancestry groups with data from 21.0% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
from 82.7% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
from 8.2% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06
Commute & transportation from 13.9 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
from 68.5% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
from 10.3% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
from 0.1% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
from 4.7% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
from 13.0% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
from 0.2% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
from 14.8% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07
Work & employment from 12.2% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
from 59.3% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
from 67.9% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
from 14.6% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
from 34.6% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08
People & community from 3.9% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
from 11.1% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
from 19.4% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
from 8.0% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 70.2% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
from 85.8% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
from 74.0% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
from 90.8% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
from 0.9% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married 51.8%(3,747)
Women 15+
Never married 44.4%(3,436)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage from 8.0% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 51.3% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
from 18.5% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
from 21.4% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
from 26.2% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
from 3.2% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
from 66.4% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
from 41.2% in 2020
US average: 36.7%
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later) 20.4%(158)
Gulf War (1990s) 26.2%(203)
Share of the 776 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
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Drill deeper
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Frequently asked
How many people live in Waterville, Maine? Waterville, Maine has about 17,077 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Waterville, Maine? The typical household in Waterville, Maine earns about $53,580 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Waterville, Maine expensive? In Waterville, Maine, the median home is worth about $184,600, and the typical rent is about $978 a month.
How educated are people in Waterville, Maine? About 30.8% of adults age 25 and over in Waterville, Maine hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Waterville, Maine? About 20.6% of people in Waterville, Maine live below the federal poverty line.
Has Waterville, Maine grown since 1990? Yes, Waterville, Maine has shrunk since 1990. The population has lost about 19 residents, a change of about -0 percent over that period.
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