Population 154,710 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Penobscot County
Household size in Penobscot County
| Period | Penobscot County | Maine | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.35 | 2.37 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.38 | 2.36 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.37 | 2.35 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.30 | 2.30 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.06 | −0.07 | −0.03 |
Penobscot 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. The picture is much the same across Maine. Household size has edged down from 2.35 in 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 Penobscot County
| Period | Penobscot County | Maine | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 40.1 | 42.1 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 41.3 | 43.5 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 42.9 | 45.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 43.3 | 45.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | +3.2 | +2.9 | +2.3 |
Penobscot County skews older than the country: its median age is 43.3, against 40.1 nationally. Even so, the population here is younger than in Maine overall, where the median age is 45.0. The median age has climbed from 40.1 in 2006–10, mirroring the country. Only one other Maine county is younger.
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 Penobscot County
| Period | Penobscot County | Maine | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.8% | 10.1% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 9.7% | 10.1% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 10.3% | 9.4% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 8.6% | 8.8% | 11.6% |
| Change | −1.2 pts | −1.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in Penobscot County: 8.6% of households, against 11.6% nationally. That is in line with the rest of Maine. The single-parent share has edged down 1.2 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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 Penobscot County
Renters in Penobscot County
| Period | Penobscot County | Maine | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 29.5% | 26.9% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 32.6% | 28.6% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 30.6% | 27.7% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 29.5% | 25.7% | 34.8% |
| Change | −0.0 pts | −1.2 pts | +1.5 pts |
About three in ten households in Penobscot County rent their homes (29.5%), a little below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. Still, renters make up a bigger share here than in Maine overall (25.7%). Among homeowners, 47.2% have no mortgage at all, above the national share of 39.8%. Few Maine counties have a higher share of renters: only two of 16.
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 Penobscot County
| Period | Penobscot County | Maine | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.4% | 17.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 14.1% | 18.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 15.9% | 19.0% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 12.4% | 16.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | −1.0 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
A few more homes sit empty in Penobscot County than nationally: 12.4%, against 9.6%. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones. Still, 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 Penobscot County
| Period | Penobscot County | Maine | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1971 | 1969 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1971 | 1971 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1974 | 1973 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1976 | 1975 | 1980 |
| Change | +5 | +6 | +6 |
The typical home in Penobscot County was built around 1976, about the same vintage as the country's housing overall (1980). The median year built has moved up from 1971 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the east, while the south has the oldest housing.
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 Penobscot County
| Period | Penobscot County | Maine | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $683 | $766 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $756 | $831 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $848 | $919 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,056 | $1,230 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$373 | +$464 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Penobscot County costs $1,056 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $373 a month since 2006–10, up 55%, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 30.1% of household income on rent, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. The priciest rents are in the southwest; the most affordable are in the northeast.
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 Penobscot County
Bachelor's degrees in Penobscot County
| Period | Penobscot County | Maine | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 25.3% | 27.0% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 25.6% | 28.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 29.3% | 32.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 32.6% | 36.5% | 35.6% |
| Change | +7.2 pts | +9.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are a little less common in Penobscot County than nationally: 32.6% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 7.2 points, as it has nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the center and least in the northeast.
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 Penobscot County
| Period | Penobscot County | Maine | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 90.0% | 89.9% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 91.1% | 91.4% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 92.3% | 92.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 95.0% | 94.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +5.0 pts | +4.8 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Penobscot County: 95.0% 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 5.0 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 Penobscot County
| Period | Penobscot County | Maine | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.4% | 6.6% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 7.9% | 7.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.0% | 4.2% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.7% | 3.9% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.7 pts | −2.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been easier to find in Penobscot County than nationally: unemployment was 3.7%, against 5.4%. Since 2006–10, unemployment has fallen 2.7 points, in line with the national trend. 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).
Penobscot 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Penobscot County | 2.30 | 43.3 | 8.6% | 29.5% | 12.4% | 1976 | $1,056 | 32.6% | 95.0% | 3.7% |
| Somerset County | 2.18 | 46.3 | 9.1% | 22.6% | 19.0% | 1975 | $953 | 21.2% | 93.1% | 3.5% |
| Washington County | 2.16 | 48.3 | 10.1% | 20.3% | 32.0% | 1974 | $824 | 24.7% | 91.0% | 6.2% |
| Orleans County | 2.26 | 46.1 | 8.9% | 20.3% | 24.7% | 1977 | $943 | 30.8% | 92.3% | 5.4% |
| Franklin County | 2.56 | 42.0 | 10.7% | 22.6% | 14.3% | 1976 | $1,258 | 30.1% | 93.6% | 3.3% |
| Alpena County | 2.21 | 47.9 | 9.9% | 20.0% | 15.7% | 1967 | $766 | 17.8% | 92.5% | 6.2% |
| Montmorency County | 1.94 | 55.0 | 7.0% | 12.1% | 43.4% | 1975 | $709 | 15.3% | 90.7% | 5.4% |
| Otsego County | 2.28 | 44.7 | 10.3% | 22.8% | 20.7% | 1983 | $1,083 | 26.4% | 94.1% | 4.1% |
| Antrim County | 2.18 | 50.9 | 7.6% | 13.6% | 33.1% | 1979 | $958 | 33.0% | 94.4% | 3.9% |
| Leelanau County | 2.33 | 54.1 | 6.0% | 8.4% | 30.6% | 1987 | $1,249 | 51.9% | 97.1% | 3.4% |
| Door County | 2.04 | 53.5 | 5.0% | 21.8% | 32.0% | 1981 | $1,084 | 37.4% | 96.2% | 2.4% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Rensselaer County, NY · Jackson County, MS · Johnson County, IA · Johnson County, IN · Kaufman County, TX · Lebanon County, PA · Livingston Parish, LA · Ouachita Parish, LA · Parker County, TX · Berrien County, MI
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 Penobscot 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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