Town · Maine
Canaan, Maine
Canaan, town, in Somerset County, Maine. Canaan had 2,219 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 1.2% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 2,193 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 2,063 (±305). GEOID 2302509935.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
2,219
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 2,193 · ACS 2020-2024: 2,063 ±305
Median household income
$57,781
±$12,505 (90% margin)
Maine: $74,733
Median home value
$159,900
±$28,155 (90% margin)
Maine: $296,600
Median gross rent
$922
±$252 (90% margin)
Maine: $1,139
Where is Canaan and what county is it in?
Canaan is a town in Somerset County, Maine. It covers 41.2 square miles of land, 53 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 Canaan, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 2,219 people lived in Canaan on July 1, 2025, up 1.2% since 2020, slower than Maine (+3.8%). The 2020 Census counted 2,193 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 2,063 (±305).
| Measure | Canaan | Somerset County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 2,063±305 | 50,959 | no clear change |
| Households | 901±140 | 23,209 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.29±0.24 | 2.16 | −0.48 |
| Housing units | 1,076±129 | 30,137 | no clear change |
Canaan's population since 2000
From 2,017 in 2000 to 2,219 in 2025: up 10.0%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Canaan 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 Canaan?
The median resident of Canaan is 44.2 years old; 22.2% are under 18 and 18.8% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 91.9%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 4.5%.
| Measure | Canaan | Somerset County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 44.2±6.1 | 47.0 | +9.2 |
| Under 18 years | 22.2%±3.8 pts | 18.4% | – |
| 65 years and over | 18.8%±5.3 pts | 23.0% | – |
| Male | 55.2%±3.9 pts | 49.8% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 0.0%±1.3 pts | 1.5% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 91.9%±4.8 pts | 93.8% | −6.5 pts |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 1.1%±1.7 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±1.3 pts | 0.4% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.3%±0.4 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±1.3 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 4.5%±3.1 pts | 3.4% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 2.2%±3.3 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 3.5%±3.4 pts | 1.5% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 2.9%±2.7 pts | 2.2% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 9.7%±4.3 pts | 10.7% | – |
| With a disability | 14.2%±4.7 pts | 19.4% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 7.7%±3.9 pts | 7.5% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 94.3%±2.8 pts | 93.2% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 24.1%±7.0 pts | 21.1% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 7.7%±3.8 pts | 5.8% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 93.7%±5.4 pts | 88.9% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.4%±0.9 pts | 2.1% | – |
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 Canaan earn?
Half of Canaan's 901 households earn less than $57,781 a year (±$12,505), against $58,179 in Somerset County and $74,733 in Maine. In 2015-2019 it was $66,005 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 12.9% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Canaan | Somerset County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $57,781±$12,505 | $58,179 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $70,841±$9,401 | $76,305 | – |
| Per capita income | $29,477±$3,524 | $34,433 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 12.9%±5.1 pts | 14.2% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 18.2%±10.0 pts | 14.8% | no clear change |
| Households receiving SNAP | 23.9%±9.4 pts | 17.7% | – |
| Households with a computer | 89.5%±7.3 pts | 93.0% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 76.9%±9.4 pts | 86.3% | – |
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 Canaan?
Owners occupy 85.7% of Canaan's occupied homes and renters 14.3%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $159,900 by its owner (±$28,155). The median renter pays $922 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Canaan | Somerset County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $159,900±$28,155 | $166,900 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $922±$252 | $910 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 20.4%±29.1 pts | 34.8% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,206±$151 | $1,299 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 85.7%±8.5 pts | 77.4% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 14.3%±8.5 pts | 22.6% | – |
| Housing units | 1,076±129 | 30,137 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0%±3.5 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0%±19.1 pts | 2.3% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 66.4%±8.5 pts | 75.8% | – |
| Mobile homes | 28.5%±8.4 pts | 14.7% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0%±2.5 pts | 0.8% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 9.1%±6.1 pts | 6.1% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 12.8%±6.0 pts | 21.4% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 6.0%±6.2 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 Canaan work and get to work?
81.8% of Canaan's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 33.9 minutes.
| Measure | Canaan | Somerset County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 62.0%±7.1 pts | 55.7% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 3.5%±3.1 pts | 3.5% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 81.8%±8.0 pts | 76.5% | – |
| Carpooled | 12.7%±7.8 pts | 8.4% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0%±2.7 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Walked | 0.5%±0.8 pts | 3.0% | – |
| Worked from home | 3.1%±2.4 pts | 11.0% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 33.9 min±4.6 | 28.0 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 Canaan?
1 census tract lies mostly in Canaan (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9661Somerset County | 3,482 | $64,205 |
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 Canaan) · Census block assignment files
How does Canaan compare with other places in Maine?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Canaan is the 4,478th-most populous of the 16,079 U.S. towns and townships that have one and the 135th-most populous of 454 in Maine.
Canaan ranks 272nd 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 | 135th | 454 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 202nd | 273 |
| Residents per square mile | 270th | 353 |
| Median household income | 272nd | 349 |
| Per capita income | 320th | 353 |
| Median home value | 301st | 352 |
| Median gross rent | 201st | 301 |
| Poverty rate | 112th | 277 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 239th | 352 |
| Median age | 212th | 353 |
| Owner-occupied share | 120th | 353 |
| Travel time to work | 38th | 352 |
Canaan's figures with every place in Maine (CSV)
Every place in Maine, sortable · Compare Canaan 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 Canaan?
20 of the 57 figures for Canaan 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 Canaan 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.