City profile · Maine · Census ACS 2023

Bethel, ME

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Bethel - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

546
Residents
$357,100
Median home
$1,295
Median rent (state)

Bethel - the verdict

546 people call Bethel, Maine home. Source: Census ACS.

73rd
percentile, home value
45th
percentile, median rent
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Bethel, ME

546 people live in Bethel, Maine - a small town by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Typical homes in Bethel are valued around $357,100, and the median resident age is 39.1 years. 46.7% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 62.6% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

The annual average temperature per NOAA climate normals runs 43.9°F with 50.9 inches of precipitation per year.

Maine tracks close to the national cost-of-living baseline: the state registers 97.1 on a 100-equals-national-average index (Near Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $1,295 per month statewide. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in Maine run around $273, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 65.9 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (Moderate).

Population

546 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Maine

Median Household Income

N/A /yr

Poverty 16.5%

Cost of Living Index (state)

97.1 (US=100)

Near Average - BEA RPP 2024, Maine average

How does Bethel compare to other US cities?

Where Bethel sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.

Home value 73% pricier than other cities
Median rent 45% pricier than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

Each percentile compares Bethel against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Maine only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.

Maine-relative analysis

Poverty Rate places Bethel toward the top of Maine's cities

Among the 154 Maine cities PlainCities tracks with reported poverty rate data, Bethel ranks #25 - the 84th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Bethel only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Gross Rent
#121 of 154
18th percentile in Maine
Median Home Value
#31 of 151
79th percentile in Maine
Poverty Rate
#25 of 154
84th percentile in Maine
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#31 of 154
80th percentile in Maine

Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Maine only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.

How Bethel's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$357,100 27th percentile more affordable than 27% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Below this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). This entry sits in this band. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Bethel $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Income distribution context

Median household income is not available for Bethel in the current Census ACS release (common for very small places).

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 46.7%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 16.5%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 62.6%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
546
Median Income
N/A
Median Home Value
$357,100
Median Age
39.1
Poverty Rate
16.5%
Labor force participation
62.6%
Bachelor's Degree+
46.7%

Climate

Avg Temperature
43.9°F
Annual Precipitation
50.9"
Annual Snowfall
N/A

Schools

Total Schools
3
Public schools in this city

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
59.2%
Carpool
0.0%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
6.7%
Work from Home
34.1%

Based on 267 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for Maine - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$130
avg/month
Natural Gas
$95
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$48
avg/month
Total Utilities
$273
estimated/month

Estimates reflect Maine state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a Maine state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Bethel sits in

Cost of Living Index
97.1
Near Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,295/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
65.9 / 100
Moderate
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Maine

Turner
543 people
Brownville Junction
559 people
Rangeley
532 people
Southwest Harbor
563 people
Hartland
572 people
Casco
573 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Bethel's 546 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Pine Ridge, AL
546 people
Fithian, IL
546 people
Kewanna, IN
546 people
Morris, NY
546 people
Conneaut Lake, PA
546 people
Pleasant Hill, TN
546 people

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Bethel, ME Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Bethel, ME - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 98.3% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 0.0% White 98.3% Black or African American 0.0% Asian 0.0% American Indian 0.0% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 0.0% Two or more races 1.7% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Bethel compares to nearby Maine cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Bethel (this city) 546 N/A
Turner 543 $67,065
Brownville Junction 559 $41,250
Rangeley 532 $29,231
Census ACS 5-year FIPS ME NOAA Normals NCES CCD OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Bethel, ME?

What is the population of Bethel, ME? +

The population of Bethel, ME stands at 546 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the cost of living in Bethel? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Bethel; the closest available measure is the Maine state average, a cost of living index of 97.1 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Near Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Maine vary by metro area.

What is the median home value in Bethel, ME? +

A typical home in Bethel is worth $357,100, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the climate like in Bethel? +

Climate normals put Bethel's yearly average temperature at 43.9°F, 50.9 inches of precipitation. Source: NOAA Climate Normals.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES CCD, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities

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Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.