Hancock County, ME

County

Add Comparison

2024 Population

56,460

US Senator

Susan Collins

Republican Party

US Senator

Angus King

Independent Party

2024 Median Age

0.204% 1-year decrease

2024 Poverty Rate

9.92%

3.02% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$72,744

4.47% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$310,400

11.5% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

27,680

1.04% 1-year decline

About

None of the households in Hancock County, ME reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

98.4% of the residents in Hancock County, ME are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Hancock County, ME are Maine Maritime Academy (137 degrees awarded in 2023) and College of the Atlantic (94 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Hancock County, ME was $310,400, and the homeownership rate was 78.5%.

Most people in Hancock County, ME drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 25.4 minutes. The average car ownership in Hancock County, ME was 2 cars per household.

Hancock County, ME borders Knox County, ME, Penobscot County, ME, Waldo County, ME, and Washington County, ME.

About the photo: Bass Harbor head light in Hancock, ME

Photo by ilirjan rrumbullaku

United States Maine

Population & Diversity

Hancock County, ME is home to a population of 56.5k people, from which 98.4% are citizens. As of 2024, 3.34% of Hancock County, ME residents were born outside of the country (1.89k people).

In 2024, there were 47.1 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (52.3k people) in Hancock County, ME than any other race or ethnicity. There were 1.11k Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) and 542 Asian (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

98.4%

2024 Citizenship

98.6%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 98.4% of Hancock County, ME residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Hancock County, ME was 98.6%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Hancock County, ME compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Hancock County, ME

White (Non-Hispanic)
52.3k ± 183
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
1.11k ± 177
Asian (Non-Hispanic)
542 ± 107

1.86%

Hispanic Population

1.05k people

1.86% of the people in Hancock County, ME are hispanic (1.05k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Hancock County, ME as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for Maine.

Most Common Origin

Canada
10,100 ± 2,458 people
China
2,593 ± 1,249 people
Other Africa, not specified
2,479 ± 1,221 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Maine was Canada, the natal country of 10,100 Maine residents, followed by China with 2,593 and Other Africa, not specified with 2,479.

Foreign-Born Population

3.34%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

1.89k people

2023 Foreign-Born Population

1.68k people

As of 2024, 3.34% of Hancock County, ME residents (1.89k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Hancock County, ME was 3%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Hancock County, ME compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
1,559 ± 236
Gulf War (1990s)
651 ± 134
Gulf War (2001-)
489 ± 141

Hancock County, ME has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2.39 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Hancock County, ME.

Economy

The economy of Hancock County, ME employs 27.7k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Hancock County, ME were Health Care & Social Assistance (3,644 people), Retail Trade (3,531 people), and Educational Services (3,206 people), and the highest paying industries were Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($76,575), Wholesale Trade ($68,629), and Management of Companies & Enterprises ($67,045).

Employment

Occupations

27.7k

2024 Value

± 1,146

−1.04%

1 Year decline

± 5.86%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Hancock County, ME declined at a rate of −1.04%, from 28k employees to 27.7k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Hancock County, ME, are Management Occupations (3,306 people), Sales & Related Occupations (2,630 people), and Education Instruction, & Library Occupations (2,308 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Hancock County, ME.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Maine.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Maine (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

27.7k

2024 Value

± 1,146

−1.04%

1 Year decline

± 5.86%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Hancock County, ME declined at a rate of −1.04%, from 28k employees to 27.7k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Hancock County, ME, are Health Care & Social Assistance (3,644 people), Retail Trade (3,531 people), and Educational Services (3,206 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Hancock County, ME, though some of these residents may live in Hancock County, ME and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$50,640

Median earning men ± $2,104

$39,497

Median earning women ± $2,951

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($141,219), Information ($78,125), and Public Administration ($76,422).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($62,833), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($52,679), and Manufacturing ($48,467).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Maine.

Y-Axis

1.54%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 627k people employed in Maine. This represents a 1.54% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 14.4%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Maine.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

247
Accommodation and Food Services
237
Construction
186
Retail Trade

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$168k
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
$155k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$133k
Retail Trade

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Maine went to Kamala Harris with 52.4% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (45.5%), followed by Jill Stein (1.08%).

Susan Collins and Angus King are the senators currently representing the state of Maine. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Maine is currently represented by 2 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Hancock County, ME. Showing the available data for Maine.

2024 Election Results

Kamala Harris (52.4%)
Democratic Party
Donald J. Trump (45.5%)
Republican Party
Jill Stein (1.08%)
Green Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Maine went to Kamala Harris with 52.4% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (45.5%), followed by Jill Stein (1.08%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Maine for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Maine

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Maine.

Susan Collins

Senator from Maine

Assumed office on January 3, 1997

Angus King

Senator from Maine

Assumed office on January 3, 2013
Angus King of Maine and Bernie Sanders of Vermont join meetings of the Senate Democratic Caucus.

Susan Collins and Angus King are the senators currently representing Maine.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Maine over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

Education

In 2023, universities in Hancock County, ME awarded 231 degrees. The student population of Hancock County, ME in 2023 is skewed towards men, with 832 male students and 448 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Hancock County, ME are White (161 and 78.9%), Hispanic or Latino (15 and 7.35%), Unknown (15 and 7.35%), and Asian (6 and 2.94%).

The largest universities in Hancock County, ME by number of degrees awarded are Maine Maritime Academy (137 and 59.3%) and College of the Atlantic (94 and 40.7%).

The most popular majors in Hancock County, ME are Liberal Arts & Sciences (94 and 40.7%), Marine Science & Merchant Marine Officer (35 and 15.2%), and Power Plant Technology/Technician (30 and 13%).

The median tuition costs are $45,630 for private four year colleges, and $11,474 and $26,954 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2023 in Hancock County, ME, the percentage of applicants admitted was 62.4%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 31.3%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 1,280 (65% men and 35% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2023 there were 1,280 students enrolled in Hancock County, ME, 65% men and 35% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 995 records, of which 31.6% were women and 68.4% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Liberal Arts & Sciences
93 degrees awarded
Marine Science & Merchant Marine Officer
32 degrees awarded
Power Plant Technology/Technician
30 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Hancock County, ME was Liberal Arts & Sciences with 93 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Hancock County, ME according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

Maine Maritime Academy
137 degrees awarded
College of the Atlantic
94 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Maine Maritime Academy with 137 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 135 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Hancock County, ME, which is 1.41 times more than the 96 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 161 degrees mean that there were 10.7 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 15 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($45,630) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($3,272) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($1,300) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Hancock County, ME was $310,400 in 2024, which is 0.933 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $278,400 to $310,400, a 11.5% increase. The homeownership rate in Hancock County, ME is 78.5%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Hancock County, ME have an average commute time of 25.4 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Hancock County, ME is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 11.8% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Hancock County, ME. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 3.38%.

Housing

Property

$310,400

Median Property Value 2024

±$13,318

$20,083

Median Property Taxes

±$899

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Hancock County, ME the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Hancock County, ME compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

78.5%

Homeownership

2024

63.6%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 78.5% of the housing units in Hancock County, ME were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 78.8%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Hancock County, ME compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$72,744

Median Household Income

± $3,276

25.6k

Number of Households

± 1,083

In 2024, the median household income of the 25.6k households in Hancock County, ME grew to $72,744 from the previous year's value of $69,630.

The following chart displays the households in Hancock County, ME distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Hancock County, ME is from Maine.

0.439

2023 Wage GINI in Maine

0.437

2022 Wage GINI in Maine

In 2023, the income inequality in Maine was 0.439 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.449% growth from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat less even. The GINI for Maine was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Maine in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Maine across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (68.2%)
Worked At Home (13.7%)
Carpooled (11.9%)

In 2024, 68.2% of workers in Hancock County, ME drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (13.7%) and those who carpooled to work (11.9%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

25.4 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Hancock County, ME have a shorter commute time (25.4 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 2.17% of the workforce in Hancock County, ME have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Hancock County, ME compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Hancock County, ME distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Hancock County, ME have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 11.8% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Hancock County, ME. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 3.38%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

9.92% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Hancock County, ME (5.46k out of 55.1k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 55 - 64, followed by Females 25 - 34 and then Males 25 - 34.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Hancock County, ME is White, followed by Two Or More and Hispanic.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Children in Poverty

In 2025, 13.2% of the children was living in poverty in Hancock County, ME. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 6.1%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Security

Crimes & Accidents

Indicator

In 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 60.1 in Hancock County, ME. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 14.6 per 100,000 population.

The graph shows the trend in the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population.

Health

90.4% of the population of Hancock County, ME has health coverage, with 38.2% on employee plans, 13.2% on Medicaid, 19.7% on Medicare, 16.8% on non-group plans, and 2.55% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Hancock County, ME see 952 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (952 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 2025 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 213 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.8% were men and 51.2% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

952 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Hancock County, ME

Primary care physicians in Hancock County, ME see an average of 952 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (952 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Hancock County, ME in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 17.3% under 18 years, 17.1% between 18 and 34 years, 39.3% between 35 and 64 years, and 26.3% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.8% were men and 51.2% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

9.56%

Uninsured

38.2%

Employer Coverage

13.2%

Medicaid

19.7%

Medicare

16.8%

Non-Group

2.55%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Hancock County, ME declined by 6.15% from 10.2% to 9.56%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Hancock County, ME changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2025, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 43.7 in Hancock County, ME.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Hancock County, ME.

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2025, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 28.3% in Hancock County, ME.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Hancock County, ME.