Somerset County, Maine Income Statistics
Somerset County Wealth Score
The wealth index reflects the overall economic prosperity and financial well-being of a county's residents based on income levels, employment rates, and income inequality metrics.
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D
Somerset County Well below averageAmong the 5 least wealthy counties in Maine
Source: Map AI Methodology
Income Statistics Overview
| Metric | Somerset County | Maine Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Household Income | $57,992 | $74,723 | $80,455 |
| Median Personal Income | $48,408 | $58,018 | $60,758 |
| Average Yearly Income Growth | 4.6% | 4.9% | 4.8% |
| Six-Figure Earners | 6.1% | 11.2% | 13.9% |
| $200k+ Households | 4.1% | 9.4% | 13.2% |
The median household income in Somerset County is about 22% lower than in Maine. Income has been growing slower in Somerset County (4.6%/yr) than in Maine (4.9%/yr).
About 6% of adults in Somerset County earn six figures ($100,000 or more) a year, lower than the Maine average of 11%.
Median Household Income 2009–2024 Trend
Median Household Income Over Time
Median household income in Somerset County, Maine grew by 59.2% from 2009 to 2024, reaching $57,992 in 2024. That's an average of about 4.6% per year.
Income Inequality and the Gender Pay Gap in Somerset County
| Metric | Somerset County | Maine Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gini Coefficient | 0.507 | 0.510 | 0.552 |
| Male Median Income | $57,267 | $66,614 | $69,667 |
| Female Median Income | $44,560 | $55,906 | $56,850 |
| Gender Pay Gap | 22.2% | 16.1% | 18.4% |
The Gini coefficient measures how evenly income is shared between richer and poorer households, from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns nearly everything). The lower the number, the more equally income is distributed. In Somerset County, it is 0.507, about the same as Maine's 0.510, so income here is about as evenly distributed as there, and lower than the US's 0.552, so income is more evenly distributed here than there.
Men's income is about 29% more than women's income in Somerset County, Maine. Over a 35-year career, a 29% wage gap accumulates to roughly $444,745 in unearned income for female workers in the area.
Income by Sex Over Time
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Somerset County, Maine has narrowed from about 27% to 22% in 2024. Over that period the gap was widest at 28% in 2010. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $1,738 since 2009.
Employment
| Metric | Somerset County | Maine Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment Rate | 3.5% | 3.8% | 5.2% |
| Working from Home | 11.0% | 15.9% | 15.0% |
| Commute time (minutes) | 22 | 20 | 22 |
Approximately 834 people are unemployed in Somerset County, Maine.
The average commute time in Somerset County is 22 minutes, longer than the 20 minutes in Maine.
Unemployment Rate Over Time
Since 2011, the unemployment rate in Somerset County, Maine has fallen from 8.8% to 3.5% in 2024. Over that period the rate peaked at 9.6% in 2014.
Somerset County, ME Wealth Compared With Nearby Counties
Somerset County, ME is typical in size for this group, 50,956 residents against a local median of 59,255, so the measures below are close to a like for like comparison. Nothing separates Somerset County, ME sharply from the counties around it. Each measure below lands within 15% of the local median, close enough that the differences are within what survey sampling alone would produce.
The largest of those small differences is unemployment, 11% below the local median at 3.5% against 3.9%. Somerset County, ME has the lowest unemployment of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Income growthAverage yearly change in median household income since 2016. Each year is measured in its own dollars, so this is growth before inflation. | Unemployment | Income inequalityGini coefficient: 0 would mean every household earns the same, 1 that a single household earns everything. The lower the number, the more equally income is shared here. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Somerset County, ME | 50,956 | $57,992 #6/6 | 4.6%/yr #3/6 | 3.5% #1/6 | 0.507 #2/6 |
| Franklin County, ME | 30,413 | $58,418 | 3.9%/yr | 4.6% | 0.534 |
| Piscataquis County, ME | 17,263 | $60,892 | 6.5%/yr | 3.6% | 0.512 |
| Kennebec County, ME | 126,799 | $68,834 | 4.5%/yr | 3.9% | 0.504 |
| Oxford County, ME | 59,255 | $60,170 | 4.5%/yr | 4.3% | 0.515 |
| Penobscot County, ME | 154,700 | $66,372 | 4.9%/yr | 3.6% | 0.523 |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Somerset County, Maine has an overall wealth index grade of D, making it somewhat worse than Maine, and somewhat worse than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about income and wealth in Somerset County, Maine.
How Rich Is Somerset County, Maine?
Somerset County has a wealth index grade of D. The wealth index grades areas from A+ (best) to F- by combining income levels, employment rates, and income inequality; a D grade means residents are somewhat worse off than the U.S. average. The median household income is $57,992, about 22% lower than the Maine average of $74,723.
Are incomes growing in Somerset County, Maine?
Between 2009 and 2024, the median household income in Somerset County, Maine rose 59%, from $36,432 to $57,992. Over the same years, income here lagged behind Maine as a whole: +59% against +60%.
What was the median household income in Somerset County in 2023?
In 2023, the median household income in Somerset County, Maine was $55,812, up 5% from $53,140 in 2022. The Maine median that year was $72,024.
What was the median household income in Somerset County in 2020?
In 2020, the median household income in Somerset County, Maine was $45,389. By 2024 it had risen 28% to $57,992.
What is the Gini coefficient in Somerset County, Maine?
The Gini coefficient in Somerset County is 0.507. It measures income inequality on a scale from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns everything). That is lower than the US average of 0.552, so income is distributed more equally than in the country overall.
How has the income gap between men and women changed in Somerset County, Maine?
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Somerset County, Maine has narrowed from about 27% to 22% in 2024. Over that period the gap was widest at 28% in 2010. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $1,738 since 2009.
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