Population 974 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Spruce Head
Household size in Spruce Head
| Period | Spruce Head | Maine | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.56 | 2.37 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.12 | 2.36 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.26 | 2.35 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.12 | 2.30 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.45 | −0.07 | −0.03 |
Spruce Head is a place of small households, averaging 2.12 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 2.56, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
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 Spruce Head
| Period | Spruce Head | Maine | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 51.2 | 42.1 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 56.7 | 43.5 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 59.8 | 45.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 56.2 | 45.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | +5.0 | +2.9 | +2.3 |
Spruce Head skews older: half of its residents are older than 56.2, 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 Spruce Head
| Period | Spruce Head | Maine | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.7% | 10.1% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 8.1% | 10.1% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 5.0% | 9.4% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.9% | 8.8% | 11.6% |
| Change | −2.9 pts | −1.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in Spruce Head: 6.9% 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 Spruce Head
Renters in Spruce Head
| Period | Spruce Head | Maine | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.3% | 26.9% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 5.4% | 28.6% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 8.6% | 27.7% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 14.1% | 25.7% | 34.8% |
| Change | +5.8 pts | −1.2 pts | +1.5 pts |
Spruce Head is overwhelmingly a place of homeowners: only 14.1% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. About six in ten owners (60.3%) have paid off their mortgages, 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 Spruce Head
| Period | Spruce Head | Maine | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 29.4% | 17.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 35.9% | 18.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 39.4% | 19.0% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 27.7% | 16.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | −1.7 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 27.7% of the housing in Spruce Head, 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 Spruce Head
| Period | Spruce Head | Maine | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1972 | 1969 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1982 | 1971 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1983 | 1973 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1986 | 1975 | 1980 |
| Change | +14 | +6 | +6 |
The housing in Spruce Head is younger than the country's: half of it was built after 1986, against 1980 nationally.
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 Spruce Head
| Period | Spruce Head | Maine | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $906 | $766 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,114 | $831 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,024 | $919 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,380 | $1,230 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$474 | +$464 | +$606 |
The median renter in Spruce Head pays $1,380 a month for rent and utilities, below the national median of $1,571. Even so, rents here are higher than in Maine overall ($1,230). Rent takes 28.2% of the typical renter's income, just 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 Spruce Head
Bachelor's degrees in Spruce Head
| Period | Spruce Head | Maine | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 22.8% | 27.0% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 31.7% | 28.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 24.9% | 32.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 30.1% | 36.5% | 35.6% |
| Change | +7.3 pts | +9.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are a little less common in Spruce Head than nationally: 30.1% 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 Spruce Head
| Period | Spruce Head | Maine | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 86.8% | 89.9% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 94.2% | 91.4% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 91.6% | 92.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 96.4% | 94.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +9.6 pts | +4.8 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Spruce Head: 96.4% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%.
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 Spruce Head
| Period | Spruce Head | Maine | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.1% | 6.6% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 4.8% | 7.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 0.4% | 4.2% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 0.0% | 3.9% | 5.4% |
| Change | −8.1 pts | −2.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
The survey found almost no one in Spruce Head out of work and looking, against 5.4% of the labor force 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).
Spruce Head 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spruce Head | 2.12 | 56.2 | 6.9% | 14.1% | 27.7% | 1986 | $1,380 | 30.1% | 96.4% | 0.0% |
| St. George | 1.94 | 54.5 | 16.1% | 16.0% | 32.5% | 1984 | $1,465 | 27.0% | 88.5% | 0.0% |
| South Thomaston | 2.26 | 51.4 | 5.7% | 12.0% | 23.6% | 1979 | $1,126 | 42.8% | 95.9% | 0.5% |
| Cushing | 2.13 | 48.8 | 5.5% | 15.3% | 27.3% | 1990 | $1,553 | 38.4% | 97.2% | 3.6% |
| Tenants Harbor | 1.85 | 59.8 | 14.2% | 13.4% | 43.2% | 1967 | $1,463 | 56.0% | 93.6% | 0.0% |
| Thomaston | 2.07 | 50.4 | 4.5% | 25.3% | 14.1% | 1976 | $1,543 | 24.3% | 94.8% | 2.4% |
| Owls Head | 2.10 | 57.3 | 4.0% | 14.9% | 35.9% | 1970 | $1,204 | 42.9% | 96.7% | 4.2% |
| Friendship | 2.18 | 53.9 | 5.9% | 10.4% | 36.1% | 1977 | $1,415 | 39.3% | 97.1% | 1.5% |
| Pleasant Point | 2.13 | 49.0 | 5.6% | 15.1% | 27.6% | 1990 | $1,548 | 38.4% | 97.2% | 3.5% |
| Port Clyde | 1.86 | 63.7 | 8.8% | 11.5% | 47.4% | 1959 | $1,465 | 71.9% | 100.0% | 0.0% |
| Rockland | 2.01 | 45.3 | 4.8% | 38.0% | 14.6% | 1956 | $975 | 35.9% | 91.7% | 6.3% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Seelyville, IN · Montreal, WI · Port Gibson, NY · Ripley, OK · Round Lake, NY · Rumley, TX · Salisbury, NH · San Rafael, NM · Sasser, GA · Savage, MS
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 Spruce Head. 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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