Waterville, ME

Census Place

Add Comparison
2024 Population
17,077
US Senator
Susan Collins
Republican Party
US Senator
Angus King
Independent Party
2024 Median Age
35.5
2.9% 1-year increase
2024 Poverty Rate
20.6%
18.7% 1-year decrease
2024 Median Household Income
$53,580
12.8% 1-year growth
2024 Median Property Value
$184,600
6.28% 1-year growth
2024 Employed Population
7,889
4.74% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Waterville, 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.

97.2% of the residents in Waterville, ME are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Waterville, ME are Colby College (697 degrees awarded in 2023) and Thomas College (273 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Waterville, ME was $184,600, and the homeownership rate was 48.8%.

Most people in Waterville, ME drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 18 minutes. The average car ownership in Waterville, ME was 2 cars per household.

United StatesMaineKennebec County, MEAugusta-Waterville, MENorthwest Maine--Oxford, Somerset, Franklin & Somerset Counties PUMA, MEKennebec County PUMA, ME

Population & Diversity

Waterville, ME is home to a population of 17.1k people, from which 97.2% are citizens. As of 2024, 3.95% of Waterville, ME residents were born outside of the country (675 people).

In 2024, there were 24.2 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (14.9k people) in Waterville, ME than any other race or ethnicity. There were 614 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) and 347 Two Races Including Other (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

97.2%
2024 Citizenship
97.4%
2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 97.2% of Waterville, ME residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Waterville, ME was 97.4%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

View Data
Save Image

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Waterville, ME
  1. White (Non-Hispanic)
    14.9k ± 360
  2. Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
    614 ± 258
  3. Two Races Including Other (Non-Hispanic)
    347 ± 259
2.97%
Hispanic Population
507 people

In 2024, there were 24.2 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (14.9k people) in Waterville, ME than any other race or ethnicity. There were 614 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) and 347 Two Races Including Other (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

2.97% of the people in Waterville, ME are hispanic (507 people).

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

View Data
Save Image

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for Maine.
Most Common Origin
  1. Canada
    10,100 ± 2,458 people
  2. China
    2,593 ± 1,249 people
  3. 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.

View Data
Save Image

Foreign-Born Population

3.95%
2024 Foreign-Born Population
675 people
4.01%
2023 Foreign-Born Population
670 people

As of 2024, 3.95% of Waterville, ME residents (675 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 Waterville, ME was 4.01%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

View Data
Save Image

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period
  1. Vietnam
    278 ± 162
  2. Gulf War (1990s)
    180 ± 101
  3. Gulf War (2001-)
    158 ± 98

Waterville, ME has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.54 times greater than any other conflict.

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

View Data
Save Image

Economy

The economy of Waterville, ME employs 7.89k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Waterville, ME were Educational Services (1,837 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (1,253 people), and Retail Trade (1,162 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($151,731), Finance & Insurance ($78,470), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($68,293).

Employment

Occupations

7.89k
2024 Value
± 839
4.74%
1 Year growth
± 14.8%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Waterville, ME grew at a rate of 4.74%, from 7.53k employees to 7.89k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Waterville, ME, are Education Instruction, & Library Occupations (1,221 people), Sales & Related Occupations (820 people), and Office & Administrative Support Occupations (731 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Waterville, ME.

View Data
Save Image

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.

View Data
Save Image

Industries

Employment by Industries

7.89k
2024 Value
± 839
4.74%
1 Year growth
± 14.8%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Waterville, ME grew at a rate of 4.74%, from 7.53k employees to 7.89k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Waterville, ME, are Educational Services (1,837 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (1,253 people), and Retail Trade (1,162 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Waterville, ME, though some of these residents may live in Waterville, ME and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

View Data
Save Image

Median Earnings by Industry

$43,153
Median earning men ± $6,424
$38,548
Median earning women ± $5,588

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Public Administration ($70,833), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($69,833), and Manufacturing ($66,528).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($79,216), Public Administration ($60,521), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($47,407).

View Data
Save Image

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.

View Data
Save Image

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

Voting results are not available for Waterville, ME. Showing the available data for Maine.
2024 Election Results
  1. Kamala Harris (52.4%)
    Democratic Party
  2. Donald J. Trump (45.5%)
    Republican Party
  3. 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.

View Data
Save Image

Senator Elections

US Senators from Maine

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Maine.
Susan Collins
Senator from Maine2
Assumed office on January 3, 1997
Angus King
Senator from Maine1
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.

View Data
Save Image

Education

In 2023, universities in Waterville, ME awarded 970 degrees. The student population of Waterville, ME in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 1,871 male students and 2,082 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Waterville, ME are White (653 and 72.8%), Hispanic or Latino (65 and 7.25%), Two or More Races (58 and 6.47%), and Asian (52 and 5.8%).

The largest universities in Waterville, ME by number of degrees awarded are Colby College (697 and 71.9%) and Thomas College (273 and 28.1%).

The most popular majors in Waterville, ME are Econometrics & Quantitative Economics (94 and 9.69%), General Business Administration & Management (79 and 8.14%), and General Political Science & Government (66 and 6.8%).

The median tuition cost in Waterville, ME for private four year colleges is $46,807.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University
Measure

In 2023 in Waterville, ME, the percentage of applicants admitted was 11%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 39.1%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 3,953 (47.3% men and 52.7% 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.

View Data
Save Image

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2023 there were 3,953 students enrolled in Waterville, ME, 47.3% men and 52.7% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 2,573 records, of which 53.8% were women and 46.2% men.

View Data
Save Image

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common
  1. Econometrics & Quantitative Economics
    94 degrees awarded
  2. General Political Science & Government
    66 degrees awarded
  3. Computer Science
    49 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Waterville, ME was Econometrics & Quantitative Economics with 94 degrees awarded.

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

View Data
Save Image

Universities

Gender
Race
Largest Universities by degrees awarded
  1. Colby College
    697 degrees awarded
  2. Thomas College
    273 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Colby College with 697 degrees awarded.

View Data
Save Image

Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 426 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Waterville, ME, which is 0.783 times less than the 544 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 653 degrees mean that there were 10 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 65 degrees awarded.

View Data
Save Image

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.

View Data
Save Image
View Data
Save Image

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($46,807) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($1,941) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($825) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

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

View Data
Save Image

Housing & Living

The median property value in Waterville, ME was $184,600 in 2024, which is 0.555 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $173,700 to $184,600, a 6.28% increase. The homeownership rate in Waterville, ME is 48.8%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Waterville, ME have an average commute time of 18 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Waterville, ME is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$184,600
Median Property Value 2024
±$20,944
$3,318
Median Property Taxes
±$433

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 Waterville, ME the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

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

View Data
Save Image
View Data
Save Image

Rent vs Own

48.8%
Homeownership
2024
62%
Homeowners with Mortgage
2024

In 2024, 48.8% of the housing units in Waterville, ME were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 45.8%.

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

View Data
Save Image

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.
$53,580
Median Household Income
± $3,811
6.8k
Number of Households
± 746

In 2024, the median household income of the 6.8k households in Waterville, ME grew to $53,580 from the previous year's value of $47,489.

The following chart displays the households in Waterville, 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 < $10k range.

View Data
Save Image

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Waterville, 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.

View Data
Save Image

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024
  1. Drove Alone (69.1%)
  2. Worked At Home (16.6%)
  3. Walked (5.9%)

In 2024, 69.1% of workers in Waterville, ME drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (16.6%) and those who walked to work (5.9%).

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.

View Data
Save Image

Commute Time

18 minutes
Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Waterville, ME have a shorter commute time (18 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 0.45% of the workforce in Waterville, ME have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

View Data
Save Image
View Data
Save Image

Car Ownership

2 cars
Average Number

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

View Data
Save Image

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

20.6% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Waterville, ME (2.94k out of 14.3k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 35 - 44, followed by Males 55 - 64 and then Females 25 - 34.

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

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.

View Data
Save Image

Health

93.3% of the population of Waterville, ME has health coverage, with 39.5% on employee plans, 27.6% on Medicaid, 9.53% on Medicare, 15.6% on non-group plans, and 1.03% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Maine see 932 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (932 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1406 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 177 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.7% were men and 50.3% were women.

Coverage

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 18.7% under 18 years, 31.7% between 18 and 34 years, 33.4% between 35 and 64 years, and 16.2% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.7% were men and 50.3% were women.

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

View Data
Save Image

Uninsured People

6.71%
Uninsured
39.5%
Employer Coverage
27.6%
Medicaid
9.53%
Medicare
15.6%
Non-Group
1.03%
Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Waterville, ME declined by 17.3% from 8.11% to 6.71%.

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

View Data
Save Image