Town · Maine
Orono, Maine
Orono, town, in Penobscot County, Maine. Orono had 12,421 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 11.0% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 11,183 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 11,902 (±18). GEOID 2301955565.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
12,421
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 11,183 · ACS 2020-2024: 11,902 ±18
Median household income
$61,528
±$4,846 (90% margin)
Maine: $74,733
Median home value
$272,600
±$40,159 (90% margin)
Maine: $296,600
Median gross rent
$1,255
±$112 (90% margin)
Maine: $1,139
Where is Orono and what county is it in?
Orono is a town in Penobscot County, Maine. It covers 18.2 square miles of land, 615 residents per square mile in 2020.
One place lies inside Orono: Orono (CDP, 10,185 in 2020).
Orono is in the Bangor, ME metropolitan statistical area (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Orono, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 12,421 people lived in Orono on July 1, 2025, up 11.0% since 2020, faster than Maine (+3.8%). The 2020 Census counted 11,183 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 11,902 (±18).
| Measure | Orono | Penobscot County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 11,902±18 | 154,710 | +1,126 |
| Households | 3,308±183 | 65,221 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.37±0.13 | 2.26 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 3,633±207 | 75,683 | no clear change |
Orono's population since 2000
From 9,112 in 2000 to 12,421 in 2025: up 36.3%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Orono 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 Orono?
The median resident of Orono is 21.8 years old; 6.8% are under 18 and 11.4% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 86.4%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 4.5%. 5.4% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Orono | Penobscot County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 21.8±0.3 | 42.5 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 6.8%±1.5 pts | 17.6% | – |
| 65 years and over | 11.4%±1.5 pts | 20.1% | – |
| Male | 50.4%±3.1 pts | 49.7% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 4.1%±1.1 pts | 2.1% | no clear change |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 86.4%±2.2 pts | 91.1% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 1.4%±0.8 pts | 1.1% | no clear change |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 3.3%±1.1 pts | 1.1% | no clear change |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.2%±0.3 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±0.2 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 4.5%±1.4 pts | 3.4% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.2%±0.3 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 5.4%±1.8 pts | 3.4% | no clear change |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 10.2%±2.2 pts | 4.9% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 2.7%±1.0 pts | 7.7% | – |
| With a disability | 11.4%±2.2 pts | 18.2% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 3.3%±1.2 pts | 6.3% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 98.8%±1.1 pts | 94.8% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 66.8%±5.2 pts | 30.1% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 39.1%±6.2 pts | 11.9% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 69.1%±3.5 pts | 87.6% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 9.1%±2.0 pts | 2.7% | – |
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 Orono earn?
Half of Orono's 3,308 households earn less than $61,528 a year (±$4,846), against $66,356 in Penobscot County and $74,733 in Maine. In 2015-2019 it was $58,492 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 24.9% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Orono | Penobscot County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $61,528±$4,846 | $66,356 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $90,860±$8,634 | $88,290 | – |
| Per capita income | $28,271±$2,536 | $37,915 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 24.9%±3.7 pts | 14.1% | −8.4 pts |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 13.0%±11.3 pts | 15.6% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 4.8%±2.0 pts | 15.6% | – |
| Households with a computer | 96.4%±2.1 pts | 94.7% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 84.4%±3.9 pts | 88.8% | – |
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 Orono?
Owners occupy 46.6% of Orono's occupied homes and renters 53.4%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $272,600 by its owner (±$40,159). The median renter pays $1,255 a month including utilities, and 45.6% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Orono | Penobscot County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $272,600±$40,159 | $214,100 | +$55,875 |
| Median gross rent | $1,255±$112 | $1,041 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 45.6%±8.9 pts | 40.3% | −16.0 pts |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,771±$223 | $1,562 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 46.6%±4.7 pts | 70.5% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 53.4%±4.7 pts | 29.5% | – |
| Housing units | 3,633±207 | 75,683 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0%±1.8 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 4.8%±5.9 pts | 5.8% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 46.0%±3.7 pts | 64.2% | – |
| Mobile homes | 1.8%±2.6 pts | 11.1% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0%±0.8 pts | 1.0% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 11.2%±4.4 pts | 8.1% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 19.1%±4.3 pts | 21.9% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 7.2%±2.5 pts | 8.1% | – |
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 many new homes is Orono building?
Builders took permits for 10 new housing units in Orono in 2025 (10 in single-family houses), 0.8 per 1,000 residents against 4.9 across Maine.
Counts of units in permits a local office issued; not every permitted unit is built. A year marked with months was reported for part of the year.
Source: Building Permits Survey, annual place files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey
How do people in Orono work and get to work?
60.0% of Orono's workers drive alone and 11.3% work from home. The average trip to work takes 15.2 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 5.1%.
| Measure | Orono | Penobscot County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 59.7%±3.6 pts | 59.6% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 5.1%±2.2 pts | 3.6% | −3.5 pts |
| Drove alone to work | 60.0%±5.3 pts | 75.6% | – |
| Carpooled | 8.1%±3.4 pts | 7.3% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.5%±0.6 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Walked | 17.6%±3.3 pts | 3.7% | – |
| Worked from home | 11.3%±3.0 pts | 11.3% | +5.8 pts |
| Mean travel time to work | 15.2 min±1.5 | 22.7 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 Orono?
3 census tracts lie mostly in Orono (2020 census blocks). Their median household incomes run from $48,575 (Tract 63) to $107,407 (Tract 62).
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 Orono) · Census block assignment files
How does Orono compare with other places in Maine?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Orono is the 1,003rd-most populous of the 16,079 U.S. towns and townships that have one and the 7th-most populous of 454 in Maine.
Orono ranks 238th 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 | 7th | 454 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 8th | 273 |
| Residents per square mile | 49th | 353 |
| Median household income | 238th | 349 |
| Per capita income | 330th | 353 |
| Median home value | 158th | 352 |
| Median gross rent | 79th | 301 |
| Poverty rate | 11th | 277 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 12th | 352 |
| Median age | 350th | 353 |
| Owner-occupied share | 347th | 353 |
| Work from home | 200th | 275 |
| Travel time to work | 327th | 352 |
Orono's figures with every place in Maine (CSV)
Every place in Maine, sortable · Compare Orono 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 Orono?
9 of the 57 figures for Orono 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 Orono 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.