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COUNTY

Penobscot County

Maine · 157,967 residents (2025 est.) · 3,397.182 sq mi
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The short version

Penobscot County has lower-than-average household income, with a median household income of $66,356. Population has held roughly steady since 2000. Median home value has more than doubled since 2000, reaching $214,100.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 42.5
US median: 38.9
Less educated
30% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 52%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
154,710
+7%since 2000
from 144,919 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Population density
46 / sq mi
+4%since 2009
from 44 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
42.5
+14%since 2000
from 37.2 in 2000
US average: 38.9

PEP 2025 EST:157,967 residents (Census Bureau Vintage 2025, released March 2026)

Population, 1990 – 2024
144K147K150K153K156K1990201020202024Penobscot County
2024155K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 54.3%(6,581)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 95.3%(8,174)
US avg: 6%
10 to 144.7%(7,215)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 196.8%(10,586)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 246.9%(10,622)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3412.7%(19,586)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4412.3%(18,988)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5412.2%(18,913)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6414.8%(22,957)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 7412.2%(18,859)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 845.6%(8,703)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over2.3%(3,526)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$66,356
+6%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $34,274 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$37,915
+113%since 2000
from $17,801 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
43.8%
+21.5 ptssince 2009
from 22.4% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
14.1%
+0.4 ptssince 2000
from 13.7% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.453
+4%since 2010
from 0.436 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information14.2%
US avg: 10.8%
Wholesale trade8%
US avg: 6.9%
Retail trade4.7%
US avg: 9.9%
Finance & insurance4.7%
US avg: 5.9%
Other services4.7%
US avg: 6.7%
Public administration3.7%
US avg: 4.8%
Professional, scientific, technical3.6%
US avg: 5.1%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing1.6%
US avg: 1.6%
Transportation & warehousing1.6%
US avg: 2.2%
Construction1.6%
US avg: 1.2%
Education & health services1.1%
US avg: 0.9%
Arts, entertainment, food1%
US avg: 1.9%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$214,100
+52%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $77,400 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,041
+22%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $468 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
70.5%
+0.7 ptssince 2000
from 69.8% in 2000
29.5% rent
Vacancy rate
13.8%
+0.4 ptssince 2009
from 13.4% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Owner cost-burdened
19.6%
−5.0 ptssince 2009
from 24.6% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
46.8%
+1.7 ptssince 2009
from 45.2% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
3.2
+8%since 2009
from 3.0 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index: median home value divided by median household income. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
53
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
RELATED:See current rent listings in Penobscot County on RentDataNow
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic96.2%(139,461)
Black0.5%(684)
Hispanic / Latino0.6%(882)
Asian0.7%(1,003)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic91.1%(141,000)
Black1.1%(1,704)
Hispanic / Latino2.1%(3,223)
Asian1.1%(1,641)
Other4.6%(7,142)
Diversity Score
21
+86%since 2009
from 11 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
27
−14%since 2020
from 31 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican0.8%(1,309)
Puerto Rican0.4%(612)
Spaniard0.2%(268)
Colombian0.1%(197)
Peruvian0.1%(145)
Cuban0.1%(116)
Dominican0%(61)
Bolivian0%(53)
Honduran0%(45)
+ 7 more hispanic origin groups with data
Asian origin
Chinese0.4%(561)
Filipino0.3%(421)
Asian Indian0.1%(186)
Vietnamese0.1%(152)
Korean0.1%(128)
Burmese0%(36)
Japanese0%(32)
Cambodian0%(29)
Thai0%(21)
Taiwanese0%(16)
Hmong0%(14)
+ 4 more asian origin groups with data
Uzbek0%(14)
Pakistani0%(11)
Pacific Islander origin
Chamorro0%(24)
Samoan0%(23)
Ancestry
English21.2%(32,869)
Irish15.4%(23,848)
French11.4%(17,591)
American8%(12,454)
German6.5%(10,026)
Italian4.8%(7,379)
French Canadian4.7%(7,300)
Scottish4.2%(6,523)
Polish2%(3,162)
Scotch-Irish1.6%(2,443)
Swedish1.2%(1,849)
Welsh0.6%(984)
+ 42 more ancestry groups with data
British0.6%(900)
Canadian0.6%(885)
Norwegian0.6%(856)
Portuguese0.5%(818)
Dutch0.5%(813)
Russian0.4%(689)
Arab0.4%(560)
Lithuanian0.3%(536)
Lebanese0.3%(455)
Greek0.3%(450)
West Indian0.3%(407)
Jamaican0.2%(355)
Ukrainian0.2%(316)
Danish0.2%(293)
Hungarian0.2%(281)
Czech0.2%(260)
Finnish0.1%(207)
Nigerian0.1%(202)
Brazilian0.1%(119)
Austrian0.1%(117)
Slovak0.1%(108)
Iranian0.1%(101)
Swiss0.1%(94)
Armenian0.1%(85)
Romanian0%(61)
Serbian0%(59)
Somali0%(55)
Haitian0%(55)
Belgian0%(35)
Turkish0%(28)
Latvian0%(19)
Moroccan0%(17)
Syrian0%(16)
Ethiopian0%(14)
Egyptian0%(13)
Guyanese0%(12)
Iraqi0%(8)
Slovene0%(8)
RANKED:Largest English population · Largest Irish population · Largest French population · Largest American population · Largest German population
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
30.1%
+9.8 ptssince 2000
from 20.3% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
94.8%
+9.1 ptssince 2000
from 85.7% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
11.9%
+4.5 ptssince 2000
from 7.4% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
22.7 min
+60%since 2000
from 14.2 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
75.6%
−3.5 ptssince 2009
from 79.1% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
7.3%
−3.0 ptssince 2009
from 10.2% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
0.4%
−0.6 ptssince 2009
from 1.0% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
11.3%
+7.7 ptssince 2009
from 3.6% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
3.7%
−0.6 ptssince 2009
from 4.3% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.4%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 0.4% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
8.1%
+1.1 ptssince 2009
from 7.0% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
3.6%
−3.5 ptssince 2011
from 7.1% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
59.6%
−4.1 ptssince 2011
from 63.8% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Self-employed
16.0%
+0.7 ptssince 2009
from 15.4% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
39.7%
−22.9 ptssince 2009
from 62.5% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
49.7%
+0.8 ptssince 2009
from 48.9% in 2009
Female
50.3%
−0.8 ptssince 2009
from 51.1% in 2009
Foreign born
3.4%
+0.8 ptssince 2009
from 2.6% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
7.7%
−40.5 ptssince 2009
from 48.2% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
18.2%
+1.2 ptssince 2012
from 17.0% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
6.3%
−83.1 ptssince 2013
from 89.4% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
88.8%
+12.4 ptssince 2017
from 76.4% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
English only at home
95.1%
−0.7 ptssince 2016
from 95.9% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
1.1%
+0.4 ptssince 2016
from 0.6% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married35.6%(23,321)
Married49.6%(32,478)
Widowed3%(1,948)
Divorced11.8%(7,752)
Women 15+
Never married27.7%(18,653)
Married47.6%(31,994)
Widowed9.3%(6,259)
Divorced15.4%(10,335)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Drill deeper

Places similar to Penobscot County

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Pop 152,444
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Pop 149,375
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Pop 143,345
Rock Island County
Pop 141,869
Places similar to Penobscot County
Head to head

Compare Penobscot County to nearby counties

PENOBSCOT COUNTY VS
Piscataquis County
Income$61,345−8%
Home value$170,200−21%
Population17,409−89%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
PENOBSCOT COUNTY VS
Washington County
Income$56,024−16%
Home value$161,800−24%
Population31,334−80%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
PENOBSCOT COUNTY VS
Hancock County
Income$72,744+10%
Home value$310,400+45%
Population57,171−64%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
PENOBSCOT COUNTY VS
Somerset County
Income$58,179−12%
Home value$166,900−22%
Population51,620−67%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Penobscot County, Maine?

Penobscot County, Maine has about 154,710 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Penobscot County, Maine?

The typical household in Penobscot County, Maine earns about $66,356 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Penobscot County, Maine expensive?

In Penobscot County, Maine, the median home is worth about $214,100, and the typical rent is about $1,041 a month.

How educated are people in Penobscot County, Maine?

About 30.1% of adults age 25 and over in Penobscot County, Maine hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Penobscot County, Maine?

About 14.1% of people in Penobscot County, Maine live below the federal poverty line.

Has Penobscot County, Maine grown since 1990?

Yes, Penobscot County, Maine has grown since 1990. The population has added about 8,109 residents, a change of about 6 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

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