Penobscot County, Maine Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Penobscot 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.
-
B
Health Around average
-
C
Income Below average
-
C
Education Below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Penobscot County | Maine Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 154,700 | 1,387,521 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 43.5 | 39.2 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.14% | 0.53% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 40.6 | 43.6 | 37.3 |
| Households | 65,215 | 597,020 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Penobscot County grew by 4.2% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 154,700 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Penobscot County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 22.1% of residents. That is about the same share as Maine.
- Gen Z 13–28 32,487 21.0% +2.4 pts
- Millennials 29–44 31,162 20.1% +0.1 pts
- Gen X 45–60 34,254 22.1% on par
- Boomers 61–79 30,471 19.7% -1.8 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 51.0% of the people living in Penobscot County and men 49.0%.
- Women 51.0% Maine 50.9%
- Men 49.0% Maine 49.1%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Penobscot County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Penobscot County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Penobscot County | Maine Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $66,372 | $74,723 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.91% | 4.91% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.6% | 3.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Penobscot County is about 11% lower than in Maine.
Housing
| Metric | Penobscot County | Maine Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $178,672 | $261,367 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,041 | $1,139 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 70.5% | 74.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Penobscot County is about 14.3 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,041 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Penobscot County spend about 36 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 151 hours, about 6.3 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Penobscot County | Maine Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 18.1 | 20.8 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 36.3 | 41.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 151 | 173 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,685 | $5,372 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 11.3% | 15.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,247 | 4,904 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 687 | 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 Penobscot County is 18 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
Penobscot County has a education index of C, which means it is somewhat educated.
| Metric | Penobscot County | Maine Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 27.3% | 31.9% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.26 | 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
Penobscot County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Penobscot County | Maine Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 77.1 | 78.2 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 14.2% | 13.9% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 20.9% | 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).
Penobscot County, ME Compared With Nearby Counties
Penobscot County, ME is the largest of the 5 counties compared here, 154,700 residents against a local median of 48,326. Where Penobscot County, ME breaks from the counties next to it is median home price, sitting 31% below the local median of $260,265 at $178,672.
The counties themselves spread $185,365 on median home price, so Penobscot County, ME sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Penobscot County, ME has the 4th highest median home price of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Penobscot County, ME | 154,700 | $66,372 #3/5 | $178,672 #4/5 | 18.1 min #3/5 |
| Hancock County, ME | 56,460 | $73,178 | $345,205 | 21.6 min |
| Waldo County, ME | 40,192 | $72,583 | $258,333 | 22.4 min |
| Washington County, ME | 31,330 | $56,734 | $262,197 | 16.9 min |
| Aroostook County, ME | 67,056 | $56,855 | $159,840 | 13.5 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Penobscot County, Maine.
What is the population of Penobscot County, Maine?
About 154,700 people live in Penobscot County, Maine, in 65,215 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 40.6, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 3 years.
Is Penobscot County, Maine urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Penobscot County, Maine has 44 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 50% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is Penobscot County, Maine an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 2.7 times the median household income ($178,672 against $66,372), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $1,041 a month takes about 19% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Penobscot County, Maine?
Unemployment in Penobscot County, Maine is only 3.6%, 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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