Town · Maine
Wells, Maine
Wells, town, in York County, Maine. Wells had 12,094 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 6.8% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 11,314 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 11,713 (±36). GEOID 2303181475.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
12,094
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 11,314 · ACS 2020-2024: 11,713 ±36
Median household income
$88,024
±$11,382 (90% margin)
Maine: $74,733
Median home value
$485,300
±$22,942 (90% margin)
Maine: $296,600
Median gross rent
$1,350
±$297 (90% margin)
Maine: $1,139
Where is Wells and what county is it in?
Wells is a town in York County, Maine. It covers 57.7 square miles of land, 196 residents per square mile in 2020.
Wells is in the Portland-South Portland, ME metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 3 counties (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 Wells, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 12,094 people lived in Wells on July 1, 2025, up 6.8% since 2020, faster than Maine (+3.8%). The 2020 Census counted 11,314 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 11,713 (±36).
| Measure | Wells | York County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 11,713±36 | 216,731 | +1,347 |
| Households | 5,067±211 | 91,413 | +474 |
| Average household size | 2.31±0.10 | 2.33 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 9,644±404 | 115,091 | +658 |
Wells's population since 2000
From 9,400 in 2000 to 12,094 in 2025: up 28.7%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Wells 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 Wells?
The median resident of Wells is 53.6 years old; 18.0% are under 18 and 31.0% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 88.2%, then non-Hispanic Black residents at 5.3%. 6.1% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Wells | York County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 53.6±3.8 | 45.3 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 18.0%±2.3 pts | 17.8% | – |
| 65 years and over | 31.0%±2.9 pts | 22.3% | – |
| Male | 46.9%±2.6 pts | 49.3% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 1.2%±0.7 pts | 2.2% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 88.2%±4.4 pts | 90.1% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 5.3%±3.5 pts | 1.1% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 1.1%±1.3 pts | 1.1% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.1%±0.2 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±0.2 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 3.5%±2.0 pts | 4.9% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.5%±0.6 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 6.1%±3.3 pts | 4.0% | no clear change |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 4.6%±2.3 pts | 5.7% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 8.7%±2.3 pts | 8.7% | – |
| With a disability | 13.0%±2.3 pts | 14.3% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 6.4%±2.6 pts | 4.8% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 95.7%±2.1 pts | 95.4% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 43.3%±4.3 pts | 36.2% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 15.9%±2.7 pts | 13.0% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 95.2%±2.0 pts | 90.6% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 1.3%±0.8 pts | 3.1% | – |
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 Wells earn?
Half of Wells's 5,067 households earn less than $88,024 a year (±$11,382), against $88,333 in York County and $74,733 in Maine. In 2015-2019 it was $81,937 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 6.8% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Wells | York County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $88,024±$11,382 | $88,333 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $109,963±$9,580 | $110,468 | – |
| Per capita income | $48,140±$4,179 | $47,536 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 6.8%±2.3 pts | 7.7% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 7.2%±4.5 pts | 9.0% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 1.6%±1.3 pts | 8.1% | – |
| Households with a computer | 97.1%±1.8 pts | 96.4% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 96.1%±2.0 pts | 92.7% | – |
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 Wells?
Owners occupy 90.1% of Wells's occupied homes and renters 9.9%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $485,300 by its owner (±$22,942). The median renter pays $1,350 a month including utilities, and 42.1% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Wells | York County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $485,300±$22,942 | $395,700 | +$131,106 |
| Median gross rent | $1,350±$297 | $1,339 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 42.1%±21.0 pts | 34.5% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,933±$135 | $1,988 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 90.1%±2.9 pts | 77.3% | +6.2 pts |
| Renter-occupied homes | 9.9%±2.9 pts | 22.7% | – |
| Housing units | 9,644±404 | 115,091 | +658 |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 1.3%±1.0 pts | 0.8% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 5.3%±6.6 pts | 5.2% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 66.6%±4.1 pts | 69.7% | – |
| Mobile homes | 14.3%±3.5 pts | 6.1% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 3.1%±1.2 pts | 1.9% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 13.9%±3.0 pts | 8.6% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 8.1%±2.4 pts | 19.9% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 1.2%±0.8 pts | 4.7% | – |
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 Wells building?
Builders took permits for 111 new housing units in Wells in 2025 (111 in single-family houses), 9.2 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 Wells work and get to work?
70.0% of Wells's workers drive alone and 17.8% work from home. The average trip to work takes 27.5 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 6.2%.
| Measure | Wells | York County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 60.4%±3.5 pts | 65.0% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 6.2%±3.4 pts | 3.4% | no clear change |
| Drove alone to work | 70.0%±4.8 pts | 72.0% | – |
| Carpooled | 8.3%±3.4 pts | 7.4% | – |
| Public transportation | 1.1%±1.0 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Walked | 1.4%±1.2 pts | 2.2% | – |
| Worked from home | 17.8%±4.1 pts | 16.8% | +12.7 pts |
| Mean travel time to work | 27.5 min±2.7 | 27.7 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 Wells?
4 census tracts lie mostly in Wells, and 1 more reaches into it (2020 census blocks). Their median household incomes run from $72,778 (Tract 340.05) to $101,771 (Tract 340.02).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 340.02York County | 6,398 | $101,771 |
| Tract 340.03York County | 2,128 | $81,458 |
| Tract 340.04York County | 1,974 | $100,885 |
| Tract 340.05York County | 1,213 | $72,778 |
| Tract 9901York County | 0 | not published |
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 Wells) · Census block assignment files
How does Wells compare with other places in Maine?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Wells is the 1,029th-most populous of the 16,079 U.S. towns and townships that have one and the 9th-most populous of 454 in Maine.
Wells ranks 90th 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 | 9th | 454 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 36th | 273 |
| Residents per square mile | 125th | 353 |
| Median household income | 90th | 349 |
| Per capita income | 83rd | 353 |
| Median home value | 32nd | 352 |
| Median gross rent | 61st | 301 |
| Poverty rate | 213th | 277 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 85th | 352 |
| Median age | 59th | 353 |
| Owner-occupied share | 59th | 353 |
| Work from home | 108th | 275 |
| Travel time to work | 132nd | 352 |
Wells's figures with every place in Maine (CSV)
Every place in Maine, sortable · Compare Wells 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 Wells?
11 of the 57 figures for Wells 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 Wells 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.