City profile · Maine · Census ACS 2023

Damariscotta, ME

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

1,172
Residents
$63,696
Median income
$387,200
Median home
$1,403
Median rent (state)

Damariscotta - the verdict

Nationally, Damariscotta sits in the 41st percentile for household income and the 51st percentile for safety among US cities with a population of 1,000 or more. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

41st
percentile, household income
76th
percentile, home value
54th
percentile, median rent
51st
percentile, safety
📝 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: Damariscotta, ME

Maine's Damariscotta is a small town, with 1,172 residents per the latest Census Bureau ACS figures. Median household income here is $63,696 per year, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 17.6%. Damariscotta's housing stock carries a median value of $387,200, and the median resident age is 50.0 years. 43.8% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 42.8% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Damariscotta reports a comparatively low crime rate: the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program logs 1343.7 total incidents per 100,000 residents here, below the national average (agency reporting is voluntary, so this measures reporting activity, not a definitive danger score).

Maine tracks close to the national cost-of-living baseline: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts Maine at 97.1 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Near Average). A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $1,403 per month statewide. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in Maine run around $273, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. The average commute for Damariscotta workers runs 13.3 minutes, with 75.4% driving alone and 11.0% working from home. On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 31.8 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (Very Low).

Population

1,172 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Maine

Median Household Income

$63,696 /yr

Poverty 17.6%

Cost of Living Index (state)

97.1 (US=100)

Near Average - BEA RPP 2024, Maine average

How does Damariscotta compare to other US cities?

Here's how Damariscotta stacks up against the full field of US cities (population 1,000+), computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 41% higher than other cities
Home value 76% pricier than other cities
Median rent 54% pricier than other cities
Safety 51% safer than other cities

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

A national percentile can hide a lot of local variation: narrowed to Maine alone, Damariscotta ranks #50 of 73 Maine cities by lowest crime rate - a different, more locally useful comparison than stacking it against the entire country.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

For each metric we count every US city with population 1,000+ and a non-null value, then compute what share of them fall below Damariscotta's value: round(cities-below ÷ total × 100). Safety is inverted (percentile = share of cities with a higher crime rate) so a higher number always means safer. The in-state rank narrows that same crime-rate comparison to only the cities PlainCities tracks in Maine, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.

41stIncome percentile
51stSafety percentile

41st percentile nationally for median household income · 51st percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Damariscotta's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Damariscotta's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 42 Avg. percentile National median
Damariscotta's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.

How Damariscotta's home value compares nationally

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

$387,200 24th percentile more affordable than 24% 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%). Below this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). This entry sits in this band. $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. Damariscotta $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

Household income distribution - Damariscotta, ME Damariscotta, ME's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Damariscotta, ME-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Damariscotta, ME median $63,696/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Damariscotta, ME's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Damariscotta, ME. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 43.8%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 17.6%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 42.8%

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

Population
1,172
Median Income
$63,696
Median Home Value
$387,200
Median Age
50.0
Poverty Rate
17.6%
Labor force participation
42.8%
Bachelor's Degree+
43.8%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
1343.7
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
86.7
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
1257.0
per 100,000 residents

Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.

Schools

Total Schools
1
Public schools in this city

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
13.3 minutes
Drive Alone
75.4%
Carpool
0.0%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
13.6%
Work from Home
11.0%

Based on 391 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 Damariscotta sits in

Cost of Living Index
97.1
Near Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,403/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
31.8 / 100
Very Low
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Maine

Norridgewock
1,155 people
Howland
1,208 people
Oxford
1,135 people
Limestone
1,120 people
Chisholm
1,115 people
Eastport
1,230 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Damariscotta's 1,172 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Mayo, FL
1,172 people
Oskaloosa, KS
1,172 people
City View, SC
1,172 people
Dieterich, IL
1,171 people
Energy, IL
1,171 people
Palo, IA
1,173 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Damariscotta's $63,696 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Los Lunas, NM
$63,696 median income
Clifton, TX
$63,696 median income
Rio Rico, AZ
$63,692 median income
Lawrenceburg, KY
$63,690 median income
Walthill, NE
$63,702 median income
Cullman, AL
$63,704 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Damariscotta, 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 Damariscotta, ME - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 88.5% 9.2% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 5.5% White 88.5% Black or African American 0.0% Asian 0.0% American Indian 0.0% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 2.3% Two or more races 9.2% 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 Damariscotta 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
Damariscotta (this city) 1,172 $63,696
Norridgewock 1,155 N/A
Howland 1,208 $48,021
Oxford 1,135 $73,088
Census ACS 5-year FIPS ME FBI UCR NCES CCD OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Damariscotta, ME?

What is the population of Damariscotta, ME? +

The population of Damariscotta, ME stands at 1,172 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Damariscotta, ME? +

Damariscotta households earn a median of $63,696 annually, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Damariscotta? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Damariscotta; 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.

Is Damariscotta, ME safe? +

Damariscotta has a total crime rate of 1343.7 per 100,000 residents, which is below the national average. This reflects incidents reported to the FBI UCR program, not a definitive safety score -- agency reporting is voluntary and completeness varies by jurisdiction.

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

The median home value in Damariscotta is $387,200, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, 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 Editorial

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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.