Deer Isle, ME Demographics

Population 1,953 · Census ACS 2020–24

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Deer Isle, ME map of median age by neighborhood
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Population and households in Deer Isle

Household size in Deer Isle

Household size, people per household
PeriodDeer IsleMaineU.S.
2006–102.142.372.68
2010–142.102.362.73
2015–192.202.352.71
2020–242.252.302.65
Change+0.11−0.07−0.03
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Deer Isle is a place of small households, averaging 2.25 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Maine as a whole looks much the same. Household size has climbed from 2.14 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change.

Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).

Median age in Deer Isle

Median age, years
PeriodDeer IsleMaineU.S.
2006–1046.742.137.7
2010–1451.143.538.6
2015–1955.945.039.6
2020–2450.045.040.1
Change+3.3+2.9+2.3
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Deer Isle skews older: half of its residents are older than 50.0, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families.

Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).

Single-parent households in Deer Isle

Single-parent households, % of households
PeriodDeer IsleMaineU.S.
2006–106.4%10.1%12.3%
2010–149.9%10.1%12.3%
2015–195.0%9.4%11.6%
2020–243.2%8.8%11.6%
Change−3.2 pts−1.4 pts−0.6 pts
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Single-parent households are relatively rare in Deer Isle: 3.2% of households, against 11.6% nationally.

Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).

Housing in Deer Isle

Renters in Deer Isle

Renters, % of occupied homes
PeriodDeer IsleMaineU.S.
2006–1023.5%26.9%33.3%
2010–1427.0%28.6%35.6%
2015–1920.1%27.7%36.0%
2020–2414.3%25.7%34.8%
Change−9.1 pts−1.2 pts+1.5 pts
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Deer Isle is overwhelmingly a place of homeowners: only 14.3% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. Among homeowners, 52.0% have no mortgage at all, well above the national share of 39.8%.

Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).

Vacant homes in Deer Isle

Vacant homes, % of all homes
PeriodDeer IsleMaineU.S.
2006–1047.3%17.8%11.4%
2010–1454.4%18.1%11.4%
2015–1955.1%19.0%11.1%
2020–2445.3%16.4%9.6%
Change−2.0 pts−1.4 pts−1.8 pts
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Vacancy is high in Deer Isle: 45.3% of homes are empty, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand.

Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).

Age of homes in Deer Isle

Age of homes, median year built
PeriodDeer IsleMaineU.S.
2006–10196219691974
2010–14197519711975
2015–19197719731977
2020–24197019751980
Change+8+6+6
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The housing in Deer Isle is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1970, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates.

Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).

Rent in Deer Isle

Rent, per month
PeriodDeer IsleMaineU.S.
2006–10$679$766$965
2010–14$740$831$1,040
2015–19$550$919$1,213
2020–24$1,656$1,230$1,571
Change+$976+$464+$606
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The median renter in Deer Isle pays $1,656 a month for rent and utilities, above the national median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 27.2% of household income on rent, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally.

Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).

Education in Deer Isle

Bachelor's degrees in Deer Isle

Bachelor's degrees, % of adults 25+
PeriodDeer IsleMaineU.S.
2006–1030.5%27.0%28.4%
2010–1429.7%28.7%29.6%
2015–1940.3%32.0%32.1%
2020–2436.1%36.5%35.6%
Change+5.6 pts+9.5 pts+7.2 pts
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College degrees are about as common in Deer Isle as nationally: 36.1% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%.

Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).

High school graduates in Deer Isle

High school graduates, % of adults 25+
PeriodDeer IsleMaineU.S.
2006–1091.4%89.9%84.9%
2010–1488.8%91.4%86.1%
2015–1994.4%92.6%87.7%
2020–2492.1%94.8%89.3%
Change+0.7 pts+4.8 pts+4.3 pts
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High school completion in Deer Isle is a bit above the national rate: 92.1% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%. Still, the rate is lower than in Maine as a whole (94.8%).

High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).

Jobs in Deer Isle

Unemployment, % of the labor force
PeriodDeer IsleMaineU.S.
2006–104.8%6.6%8.1%
2010–144.3%7.6%9.4%
2015–192.3%4.2%5.6%
2020–243.7%3.9%5.4%
Change−1.0 pts−2.7 pts−2.7 pts
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Unemployment in Deer Isle runs below the national rate: 3.7% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. The picture is much the same across Maine. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.

Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).

Deer Isle compared with nearby cities

CityHousehold sizeMedian ageSingle parentsRentersVacant homesMedian year builtMedian rentBachelor's degreeHigh school diplomaUnemployment
Deer Isle2.2550.03.2%14.3%45.3%1970$1,65636.1%92.1%3.7%
Stonington1.7758.24.2%22.9%44.2%1971$82328.8%92.7%15.9%
Sunset2.2853.92.2%20.2%44.1%1955$2,37128.9%90.9%0.0%
West Stonington1.7758.24.2%22.9%44.2%1971$83728.8%92.6%15.8%
South Deer Isle1.7758.24.2%22.9%44.2%1971$82328.8%92.7%15.9%
Little Deer Isle2.2347.24.0%10.0%46.3%1981$1,13741.3%93.0%6.4%
Brooklin2.1549.04.7%16.3%51.4%1981$1,23342.4%95.7%1.2%
Naskeag2.1548.84.0%17.6%51.6%1981$1,23541.8%95.6%1.1%
Sargentville1.9952.42.2%17.1%24.4%1982$1,04844.5%95.9%1.9%
Pulpit Harbor2.3349.613.6%18.0%62.0%1938$91355.4%99.2%1.2%
Sedgwick2.0151.74.1%17.6%26.4%1983$1,06344.3%96.0%2.2%

All figures 2020–24.

Cities with similar populations: Pine Valley, CA · Dorchester, SC · Dubois, WY · East Setauket, NY · Ewing, KY · Union Springs, NY · Fairfax, MN · Toulon, IL · Barnardsville, NC · Village of the Branch, NY

About these numbers

Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Deer Isle. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.

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