Population 174 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Mainstream
Household size in Mainstream
| Period | Mainstream | Maine | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.41 | 2.37 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.33 | 2.36 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.15 | 2.35 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.22 | 2.30 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.19 | −0.07 | −0.03 |
Mainstream is a place of small households, averaging 2.22 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 dropped from 2.41, 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 Mainstream
| Period | Mainstream | Maine | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 46.7 | 42.1 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 48.4 | 43.5 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 53.5 | 45.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 50.4 | 45.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | +3.7 | +2.9 | +2.3 |
Mainstream skews older: half of its residents are older than 50.4, 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 Mainstream
| Period | Mainstream | Maine | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.7% | 10.1% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 10.6% | 10.1% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 8.3% | 9.4% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.3% | 8.8% | 11.6% |
| Change | −2.4 pts | −1.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 6.3% of households in Mainstream, well below the national share of 11.6%.
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 Mainstream
Renters in Mainstream
| Period | Mainstream | Maine | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.3% | 26.9% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 12.5% | 28.6% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 7.8% | 27.7% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 23.2% | 25.7% | 34.8% |
| Change | +11.9 pts | −1.2 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 23.2% of households in Mainstream rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. That is in line with the rest of Maine. Among homeowners, 52.7% 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 Mainstream
| Period | Mainstream | Maine | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 33.3% | 17.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 39.4% | 18.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 34.9% | 19.0% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 28.8% | 16.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | −4.5 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 28.8% of the housing in Mainstream, 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 Mainstream
| Period | Mainstream | Maine | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1980 | 1969 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1981 | 1971 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1980 | 1973 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1978 | 1975 | 1980 |
| Change | −2 | +6 | +6 |
The typical home in Mainstream was built around 1978, about the same vintage as the country's housing overall (1980).
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 Mainstream
| Period | Mainstream | Maine | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $624 | $766 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $790 | $831 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $826 | $919 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,071 | $1,230 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$447 | +$464 | +$606 |
The median renter in Mainstream pays $1,071 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent takes 22.9% of the typical renter's income, comfortably under 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 Mainstream
Bachelor's degrees in Mainstream
| Period | Mainstream | Maine | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.9% | 27.0% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 12.4% | 28.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 15.3% | 32.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 22.0% | 36.5% | 35.6% |
| Change | +9.1 pts | +9.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Mainstream have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 22.0%, against 35.6% nationally.
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 Mainstream
| Period | Mainstream | Maine | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 86.2% | 89.9% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 81.4% | 91.4% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 86.6% | 92.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 93.0% | 94.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +6.8 pts | +4.8 pts | +4.3 pts |
Just over nine in ten adults in Mainstream have finished high school (93.0%), above the national rate of 89.3%. Still, the rate is lower than in Maine overall (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 Mainstream
| Period | Mainstream | Maine | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.8% | 6.6% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 6.1% | 7.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 13.8% | 4.2% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.0% | 3.9% | 5.4% |
| Change | −5.8 pts | −2.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been a little easier to find in Mainstream than nationally: unemployment was 4.0%, against 5.4%. That is in line with the rest of 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).
Mainstream compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mainstream | 2.22 | 50.4 | 6.3% | 23.2% | 28.8% | 1978 | $1,071 | 22.0% | 93.0% | 4.0% |
| Harmony | 2.13 | 53.3 | 5.3% | 30.5% | 28.8% | 1974 | $914 | 21.6% | 95.8% | 3.9% |
| Cambridge | 2.19 | 43.1 | 12.7% | 15.1% | 27.2% | 1981 | $1,002 | 21.0% | 87.6% | 4.8% |
| St. Albans | 2.23 | 53.3 | 4.5% | 14.2% | 34.5% | 1986 | $1,311 | 22.8% | 89.7% | 2.3% |
| Hartland | 2.07 | 52.4 | 11.2% | 17.3% | 29.2% | 1984 | $911 | 21.7% | 90.4% | 3.7% |
| Wellington | 2.00 | 53.6 | 14.6% | 20.9% | 41.4% | 1984 | $869 | 21.6% | 87.8% | 0.7% |
| Hutchins Corner | 2.24 | 50.9 | 9.2% | 19.2% | 38.6% | 1983 | $899 | 19.6% | 88.7% | 2.6% |
| Brighton | 2.49 | 47.7 | 6.0% | 8.7% | 41.0% | 1985 | $914 | 17.0% | 86.5% | 3.8% |
| Dexter | 2.13 | 49.4 | 6.4% | 33.7% | 13.5% | 1972 | $851 | 16.9% | 92.0% | 2.2% |
| Athens | 2.35 | 48.5 | 7.2% | 9.9% | 33.7% | 1986 | $1,050 | 20.8% | 89.7% | 3.7% |
| Parkman | 1.97 | 53.8 | 13.9% | 19.9% | 39.4% | 1983 | $875 | 20.7% | 88.9% | 0.6% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Eridu, FL · Thor, MN · Finley Crossing, AL · Falcon Village, TX · Fairvalley, OK · Fairmount, TX · Fairfield, OR · Ewingville, MD · Esther, LA · Estelline, TX
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 Mainstream. 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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