Town · Maine
Peru, Maine
Peru, town, in Oxford County, Maine. Peru had 1,501 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 1.1% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 1,488 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 1,501 (±202). GEOID 2301758270.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
1,501
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 1,488 · ACS 2020-2024: 1,501 ±202
Median household income
$66,827
±$18,621 (90% margin)
Maine: $74,733
Median home value
$141,300
±$38,374 (90% margin)
Maine: $296,600
Median gross rent
$723
±$16 (90% margin)
Maine: $1,139
Where is Peru and what county is it in?
Peru is a town in Oxford County, Maine. It covers 46.7 square miles of land, 32 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 Peru, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 1,501 people lived in Peru on July 1, 2025, up 1.1% since 2020, slower than Maine (+3.8%). The 2020 Census counted 1,488 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 1,501 (±202).
| Measure | Peru | Oxford County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 1,501±202 | 59,255 | no clear change |
| Households | 623±76 | 24,140 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.41±0.22 | 2.42 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 853±95 | 36,855 | no clear change |
Peru's population since 2000
From 1,515 in 2000 to 1,501 in 2025: down 0.9%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Peru 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 Peru?
The median resident of Peru is 48.0 years old; 20.8% are under 18 and 21.7% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 92.6%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 6.4%.
| Measure | Peru | Oxford County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 48.0±7.6 | 48.2 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 20.8%±4.8 pts | 17.6% | – |
| 65 years and over | 21.7%±4.9 pts | 23.9% | – |
| Male | 52.4%±3.1 pts | 50.0% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 0.7%±0.9 pts | 1.7% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 92.6%±3.6 pts | 92.2% | −6.2 pts |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±1.8 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±1.8 pts | 0.7% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.3%±0.4 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±1.8 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 6.4%±3.3 pts | 4.5% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±1.8 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 0.4%±0.5 pts | 1.4% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 1.6%±1.1 pts | 2.1% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 7.3%±2.7 pts | 9.4% | – |
| With a disability | 19.7%±4.8 pts | 18.6% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 6.3%±2.6 pts | 8.6% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 95.9%±1.9 pts | 92.6% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 21.7%±4.7 pts | 24.0% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 6.2%±3.0 pts | 8.1% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 95.4%±2.5 pts | 91.0% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.9%±0.9 pts | 2.5% | – |
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 Peru earn?
Half of Peru's 623 households earn less than $66,827 a year (±$18,621), against $60,173 in Oxford County and $74,733 in Maine. In 2015-2019 it was $71,150 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 9.2% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Peru | Oxford County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $66,827±$18,621 | $60,173 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $78,032±$7,646 | $81,916 | – |
| Per capita income | $32,503±$3,379 | $35,412 | −$5,677 |
| People below the poverty line | 9.2%±4.5 pts | 13.8% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 9.4%±9.3 pts | 19.1% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 11.4%±4.4 pts | 15.7% | – |
| Households with a computer | 91.3%±5.0 pts | 92.3% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 83.8%±7.1 pts | 87.5% | – |
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 Peru?
Owners occupy 90.2% of Peru's occupied homes and renters 9.8%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $141,300 by its owner (±$38,374). The median renter pays $723 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Peru | Oxford County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $141,300±$38,374 | $217,300 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $723±$16 | $836 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 21.7%±19.9 pts | 40.4% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,326±$209 | $1,442 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 90.2%±4.6 pts | 80.6% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 9.8%±4.6 pts | 19.4% | – |
| Housing units | 853±95 | 36,855 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0%±4.5 pts | 0.8% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0%±27.3 pts | 11.3% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 85.6%±4.6 pts | 75.5% | – |
| Mobile homes | 13.4%±4.4 pts | 11.0% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0%±3.2 pts | 1.3% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 3.0%±2.4 pts | 6.5% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 18.3%±5.7 pts | 22.9% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 2.9%±2.1 pts | 6.9% | – |
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 Peru building?
Builders took permits for 4 new housing units in Peru in 2025 (4 in single-family houses), 2.7 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 Peru work and get to work?
83.0% of Peru's workers drive alone and 9.2% work from home. The average trip to work takes 29.0 minutes.
| Measure | Peru | Oxford County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 53.0%±6.1 pts | 56.4% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 1.1%±1.6 pts | 4.3% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 83.0%±6.0 pts | 73.8% | – |
| Carpooled | 5.6%±3.6 pts | 9.4% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.5%±0.9 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Walked | 1.8%±2.4 pts | 2.2% | – |
| Worked from home | 9.2%±3.9 pts | 13.6% | +5.6 pts |
| Mean travel time to work | 29.0 min±3.8 | 28.9 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 Peru?
No census tract lies mostly in Peru; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9658Oxford County | 3,660 | $66,167 |
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 Peru) · Census block assignment files
How does Peru compare with other places in Maine?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Peru is the 5,983rd-most populous of the 16,079 U.S. towns and townships that have one and the 187th-most populous of 454 in Maine.
Peru ranks 199th 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 | 187th | 454 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 205th | 273 |
| Residents per square mile | 331st | 353 |
| Median household income | 199th | 349 |
| Per capita income | 277th | 353 |
| Median home value | 322nd | 352 |
| Median gross rent | 271st | 301 |
| Poverty rate | 172nd | 277 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 269th | 352 |
| Median age | 150th | 353 |
| Owner-occupied share | 56th | 353 |
| Work from home | 229th | 275 |
| Travel time to work | 114th | 352 |
Peru's figures with every place in Maine (CSV)
Every place in Maine, sortable · Compare Peru 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 Peru?
19 of the 57 figures for Peru 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 Peru 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.