Population 126,808 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Kennebec County
Household size in Kennebec County
| Period | Kennebec County | Maine | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.36 | 2.37 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.32 | 2.36 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.29 | 2.35 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.30 | 2.30 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.06 | −0.07 | −0.03 |
Kennebec County is a place of small households, averaging 2.30 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Since 2006–10, household size has edged down from 2.36, mirroring the country. The biggest households, usually families with children, are concentrated in the west.
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 Kennebec County
| Period | Kennebec County | Maine | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 42.1 | 42.1 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 44.2 | 43.5 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 45.1 | 45.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 43.6 | 45.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.5 | +2.9 | +2.3 |
The median resident of Kennebec County is 43.6 years old, older than the national median of 40.1. Maine as a whole looks much the same. The median age has climbed from 42.1 in 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 Kennebec County
| Period | Kennebec County | Maine | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.2% | 10.1% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 11.1% | 10.1% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 10.6% | 9.4% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 11.7% | 8.8% | 11.6% |
| Change | +0.5 pts | −1.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are about as common in Kennebec County as they are nationally: 11.7%, against 11.6%. Single parents are more common here than in Maine overall (8.8%). No other Maine county has a higher share of single-parent households.
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 Kennebec County
Renters in Kennebec County
| Period | Kennebec County | Maine | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 27.6% | 26.9% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 29.8% | 28.6% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 29.5% | 27.7% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 26.3% | 25.7% | 34.8% |
| Change | −1.2 pts | −1.2 pts | +1.5 pts |
Just over a quarter of households in Kennebec County rent their homes (26.3%), below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. Just over four in ten owners (41.6%) have paid off their mortgages, about the same as nationally. Rentals cluster in the center; owners are most common in the west. The renter share has edged down 1.2 points since 2006–10, even as the national share rose.
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 Kennebec County
| Period | Kennebec County | Maine | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.8% | 17.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 15.3% | 18.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 16.0% | 19.0% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 12.8% | 16.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | −2.0 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
More homes sit empty in Kennebec County than nationally: 12.8%, against 9.6%. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones. Even so, the rate is lower than in Maine overall (16.4%).
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 Kennebec County
| Period | Kennebec County | Maine | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1967 | 1969 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1970 | 1971 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1972 | 1973 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1973 | 1975 | 1980 |
| Change | +7 | +6 | +6 |
Homes in Kennebec County run older than the national norm, with a median build year of 1973 against 1980. The median year built has moved up from 1967 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the east, the oldest in the south.
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 Kennebec County
| Period | Kennebec County | Maine | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $687 | $766 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $767 | $831 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $802 | $919 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,062 | $1,230 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$375 | +$464 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Kennebec County costs $1,062 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $375 a month from 2006–10, a 55% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 30.9% of the typical renter's income, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
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 Kennebec County
Bachelor's degrees in Kennebec County
| Period | Kennebec County | Maine | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 24.4% | 27.0% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 24.4% | 28.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 27.9% | 32.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 31.8% | 36.5% | 35.6% |
| Change | +7.4 pts | +9.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are a little less common in Kennebec County than nationally: 31.8% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 7.4 points, as it has nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the west and least in the north.
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 Kennebec County
| Period | Kennebec County | Maine | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 90.6% | 89.9% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 90.9% | 91.4% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 92.6% | 92.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 94.6% | 94.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +4.0 pts | +4.8 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Kennebec County: 94.6% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. The picture is much the same across Maine. The share with a diploma has risen 4.0 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally.
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 Kennebec County
| Period | Kennebec County | Maine | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.5% | 6.6% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 8.8% | 7.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.1% | 4.2% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.4% | 3.9% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.2 pts | −2.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Kennebec County runs below the national rate: 4.4% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Unemployment has fallen 2.2 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current 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).
Kennebec County compared with nearby counties
| County | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kennebec County | 2.30 | 43.6 | 11.7% | 26.3% | 12.8% | 1973 | $1,062 | 31.8% | 94.6% | 4.4% |
| Waldo County | 2.28 | 46.9 | 8.4% | 18.1% | 20.1% | 1983 | $1,085 | 34.2% | 93.3% | 3.5% |
| Oxford County | 2.45 | 47.1 | 8.6% | 19.4% | 28.2% | 1974 | $912 | 23.4% | 92.8% | 4.2% |
| Hancock County | 2.17 | 47.7 | 6.9% | 21.5% | 34.0% | 1980 | $1,187 | 40.2% | 95.7% | 4.8% |
| Caledonia County | 2.27 | 45.5 | 12.0% | 20.8% | 16.9% | 1967 | $964 | 32.8% | 93.6% | 2.0% |
| Washington County | 2.29 | 44.5 | 9.2% | 26.3% | 12.3% | 1968 | $1,314 | 47.7% | 96.1% | 2.8% |
| Chittenden County | 2.24 | 39.6 | 7.4% | 36.1% | 5.7% | 1978 | $1,668 | 58.5% | 95.5% | 3.2% |
| Iosco County | 2.19 | 51.9 | 8.7% | 17.9% | 36.3% | 1972 | $791 | 19.5% | 90.5% | 6.7% |
| Ogemaw County | 2.22 | 49.8 | 9.8% | 16.3% | 33.5% | 1976 | $819 | 17.2% | 90.8% | 6.7% |
| Roscommon County | 2.07 | 55.0 | 7.0% | 14.6% | 43.5% | 1977 | $811 | 20.0% | 91.7% | 4.8% |
| Missaukee County | 2.57 | 43.5 | 6.5% | 15.1% | 27.7% | 1981 | $930 | 18.4% | 90.8% | 6.6% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Skagit County, WA · Gregg County, TX · Harnett County, NC · Hunterdon County, NJ · Kendall County, IL · Lowndes County, GA · Oswego County, NY · Potter County, TX · Rapides Parish, LA · Richland County, OH
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 Kennebec County. 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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