Knox County, Maine Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Knox County, ME Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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B
Health Around average
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B
Income Around averageAmong the top 5 wealthiest counties in Maine
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B
Education Around averageAmong the top 5 best educated counties in Maine
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Knox County | Maine Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 41,003 | 1,387,521 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 35.9 | 39.2 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.40% | 0.53% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 48.3 | 43.6 | 37.3 |
| Households | 18,484 | 597,020 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Knox County grew by 0.3% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 41,003 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Knox County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 25.3% of residents. That is 3.8 points above Maine as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 6,729 16.4% -2.2 pts
- Millennials 29–44 7,522 18.3% -1.7 pts
- Gen X 45–60 9,007 22.0% on par
- Boomers 61–79 10,384 25.3% +3.8 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Maine, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 49.9% of the people living in Knox County and men 50.1%.
- Women 49.9% Maine 50.9%
- Men 50.1% Maine 49.1%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Knox County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Knox County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Knox County | Maine Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $73,711 | $74,723 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.49% | 4.91% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.9% | 3.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Knox County is about 1% lower than in Maine.
Housing
| Metric | Knox County | Maine Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $167,467 | $261,367 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,164 | $1,139 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 78.7% | 74.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Knox County is about 12.0 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,164 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Knox County spend about 33 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 138 hours, about 5.8 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Knox County | Maine Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 16.6 | 20.8 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 33.2 | 41.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 138 | 173 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,287 | $5,372 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 16.6% | 15.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,847 | 4,904 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 705 | 1,015 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Maine:
Aroostook County (13.5 min), Piscataquis County (16.3 min), Knox County (16.6 min).
Slowest:
York County (23.9 min), Oxford County (23.4 min), Somerset County (22.5 min).
The average commute time in Knox County is 17 minutes, shorter than the 21 minutes in Maine.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Knox County has a education index of B, which means it is quite educated.
| Metric | Knox County | Maine Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 35.6% | 31.9% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.09 | 2.25 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Maine:
Cumberland County (0.4), Sagadahoc County (0.3), Hancock County (0.3).
Lowest:
Somerset County (0.2), Piscataquis County (0.2), Aroostook County (0.2).
Health
Knox County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Knox County | Maine Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.8 | 78.2 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 12.3% | 13.9% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 15.6% | 18.8% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Maine:
Cumberland County (0.8), York County (0.8), Sagadahoc County (0.8).
Lowest:
Washington County (0.8), Piscataquis County (0.8), Aroostook County (0.8).
Knox County, ME Compared With Nearby Counties
Knox County, ME is typical in size for this group, 41,003 residents against a local median of 40,192, so the measures below are close to a like for like comparison. The measure that sets Knox County, ME apart most is median home price: $167,467, 35% below the local median of $258,333.
Commute tells the same story from another angle: 16.6 min against a local median of 21.6 min, 23% below it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is commute, and at 23% below the local median it puts Knox County, ME at the better end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $234,336 on median home price, so Knox County, ME sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Knox County, ME has the 6th highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knox County, ME | 41,003 | $73,711 #3/6 | $167,467 #6/6 | 16.6 min #1/6 |
| Waldo County, ME | 40,192 | $72,583 | $258,333 | 22.4 min |
| Lincoln County, ME | 36,099 | $76,791 | $248,842 | 21.2 min |
| Sagadahoc County, ME | 37,285 | $86,674 | $408,621 | 22.2 min |
| Hancock County, ME | 56,460 | $73,178 | $345,205 | 21.6 min |
| Kennebec County, ME | 126,799 | $68,834 | $174,285 | 21.1 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Knox County, Maine.
How many people live in Knox County, Maine?
About 41,003 people live in Knox County, Maine, in 18,484 households of 2.1 people on average. The median age is 48.3, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 11 years.
Is Knox County, Maine urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Knox County, Maine has 36 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 41% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Knox County, Maine?
The median home costs 2.3 times the median household income ($167,467 against $73,711), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $1,164 a month takes about 19% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Knox County, Maine?
Unemployment in Knox County, Maine is only 3.9%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
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