Town · Maine
Brooks, Maine
Brooks, town, in Waldo County, Maine. Brooks had 1,023 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 1.6% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 1,010 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 1,208 (±235). GEOID 2302707870.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
1,023
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 1,010 · ACS 2020-2024: 1,208 ±235
Median household income
$59,130
±$10,115 (90% margin)
Maine: $74,733
Median home value
$196,700
±$33,422 (90% margin)
Maine: $296,600
Median gross rent
$1,116
±$112 (90% margin)
Maine: $1,139
Where is Brooks and what county is it in?
Brooks is a town in Waldo County, Maine. It covers 24.7 square miles of land, 41 residents per square mile in 2020.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Brooks, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 1,023 people lived in Brooks on July 1, 2025, up 1.6% since 2020, slower than Maine (+3.8%). The 2020 Census counted 1,010 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 1,208 (±235).
| Measure | Brooks | Waldo County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 1,208±235 | 40,192 | no clear change |
| Households | 520±107 | 17,470 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.32±0.20 | 2.25 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 603±106 | 22,252 | no clear change |
Brooks's population since 2000
From 1,022 in 2000 to 1,023 in 2025: up 0.1%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Brooks as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Brooks?
The median resident of Brooks is 45.9 years old; 17.1% are under 18 and 17.0% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 88.0%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 7.0%. 4.0% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Brooks | Waldo County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 45.9±6.6 | 47.4 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 17.1%±5.1 pts | 17.7% | – |
| 65 years and over | 17.0%±4.6 pts | 25.1% | – |
| Male | 49.0%±4.3 pts | 49.6% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 3.4%±2.8 pts | 1.6% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 88.0%±6.5 pts | 92.8% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.3%±0.5 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.2%±0.2 pts | 0.5% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.5%±0.7 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±2.2 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 7.0%±6.5 pts | 4.0% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.7%±0.9 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 4.0%±2.4 pts | 2.3% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 6.5%±4.1 pts | 4.4% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 9.1%±3.1 pts | 7.6% | – |
| With a disability | 22.1%±6.1 pts | 16.8% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 18.7%±7.4 pts | 9.2% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 89.6%±6.2 pts | 93.6% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 27.5%±7.7 pts | 34.4% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 8.9%±6.3 pts | 14.4% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 91.5%±4.8 pts | 91.3% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 4.8%±4.2 pts | 2.4% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Brooks earn?
Half of Brooks's 520 households earn less than $59,130 a year (±$10,115), against $72,782 in Waldo County and $74,733 in Maine. In 2015-2019 the median was $45,536 in 2024 dollars, so it rose by $13,594 after inflation. 19.1% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Brooks | Waldo County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $59,130±$10,115 | $72,782 | +$13,594 |
| Mean household income | $81,681±$14,354 | $91,541 | – |
| Per capita income | $36,136±$6,594 | $40,336 | +$10,189 |
| People below the poverty line | 19.1%±10.6 pts | 12.0% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 22.8%±15.2 pts | 15.1% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 22.5%±11.5 pts | 12.5% | – |
| Households with a computer | 95.4%±4.5 pts | 93.9% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 84.6%±5.6 pts | 89.5% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Brooks?
Owners occupy 74.6% of Brooks's occupied homes and renters 25.4%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $196,700 by its owner (±$33,422). The median renter pays $1,116 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Brooks | Waldo County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $196,700±$33,422 | $257,700 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $1,116±$112 | $1,021 | +$154 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 11.2%±13.2 pts | 33.5% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,301±$206 | $1,542 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 74.6%±9.8 pts | 81.9% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 25.4%±9.8 pts | 18.1% | – |
| Housing units | 603±106 | 22,252 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0%±6.8 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0%±18.7 pts | 7.7% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 69.5%±10.5 pts | 75.0% | – |
| Mobile homes | 19.6%±9.6 pts | 13.1% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.7%±0.9 pts | 2.0% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 8.0%±4.5 pts | 8.3% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 25.4%±7.6 pts | 21.6% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 5.0%±4.0 pts | 5.8% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How do people in Brooks work and get to work?
75.3% of Brooks's workers drive alone and 14.5% work from home. The average trip to work takes 25.2 minutes.
| Measure | Brooks | Waldo County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 61.3%±10.4 pts | 58.1% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 4.4%±4.0 pts | 3.7% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 75.3%±7.6 pts | 72.0% | – |
| Carpooled | 6.0%±3.5 pts | 7.8% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.2%±0.4 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Walked | 3.4%±3.3 pts | 3.3% | – |
| Worked from home | 14.5%±4.7 pts | 15.6% | +9.2 pts |
| Mean travel time to work | 25.2 min±3.5 | 26.6 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Brooks?
No census tract lies mostly in Brooks; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 470Waldo County | 4,897 | $65,581 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Brooks) · Census block assignment files
How does Brooks compare with other places in Maine?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Brooks is the 7,559th-most populous of the 16,079 U.S. towns and townships that have one and the 251st-most populous of 454 in Maine.
Brooks ranks 267th of 349 places in Maine with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 251st | 454 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 189th | 273 |
| Residents per square mile | 303rd | 353 |
| Median household income | 267th | 349 |
| Per capita income | 221st | 353 |
| Median home value | 247th | 352 |
| Median gross rent | 119th | 301 |
| Poverty rate | 35th | 277 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 202nd | 352 |
| Median age | 185th | 353 |
| Owner-occupied share | 246th | 353 |
| Work from home | 146th | 275 |
| Travel time to work | 172nd | 352 |
Brooks's figures with every place in Maine (CSV)
Every place in Maine, sortable · Compare Brooks with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Brooks?
18 of the 57 figures for Brooks on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Brooks are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' school search.