Swans Island, ME Demographics

Population 378 · Census ACS 2020–24

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Swans Island, ME map of median age by neighborhood
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Population and households in Swans Island

Household size in Swans Island

Household size, people per household
PeriodSwans IslandMaineU.S.
2006–102.152.372.68
2010–142.122.362.73
2015–192.142.352.71
2020–242.372.302.65
Change+0.22−0.07−0.03
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Swans Island is a place of small households, averaging 2.37 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 2.15 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 Swans Island

Median age, years
PeriodSwans IslandMaineU.S.
2006–1047.242.137.7
2010–1450.343.538.6
2015–1952.645.039.6
2020–2449.545.040.1
Change+2.3+2.9+2.3
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Swans Island skews older: half of its residents are older than 49.5, 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 Swans Island

Single-parent households, % of households
PeriodSwans IslandMaineU.S.
2006–1013.7%10.1%12.3%
2010–149.0%10.1%12.3%
2015–193.3%9.4%11.6%
2020–242.1%8.8%11.6%
Change−11.7 pts−1.4 pts−0.6 pts
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Single-parent households are relatively rare in Swans Island: 2.1% 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 Swans Island

Renters in Swans Island

Renters, % of occupied homes
PeriodSwans IslandMaineU.S.
2006–1025.6%26.9%33.3%
2010–1425.8%28.6%35.6%
2015–1930.5%27.7%36.0%
2020–2413.4%25.7%34.8%
Change−12.2 pts−1.2 pts+1.5 pts
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Swans Island is overwhelmingly a place of homeowners: only 13.4% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. Among homeowners, 45.3% have no mortgage at all, 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 Swans Island

Vacant homes, % of all homes
PeriodSwans IslandMaineU.S.
2006–1049.9%17.8%11.4%
2010–1460.6%18.1%11.4%
2015–1953.6%19.0%11.1%
2020–2454.7%16.4%9.6%
Change+4.8 pts−1.4 pts−1.8 pts
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Vacancy is high in Swans Island: 54.7% 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 Swans Island

Age of homes, median year built
PeriodSwans IslandMaineU.S.
2006–10197119691974
2010–14197519711975
2015–19197419731977
2020–24198119751980
Change+10+6+6
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Homes in Swans Island are about the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1981, versus 1980 nationally. Homes here are newer than in Maine as a whole, where the median home dates to 1975.

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 Swans Island

Rent, per month
PeriodSwans IslandMaineU.S.
2006–10$725$766$965
2010–14$416$831$1,040
2015–19$776$919$1,213
2020–24$1,529$1,230$1,571
Change+$804+$464+$606
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A typical rental in Swans Island costs $1,529 a month with utilities, close to the national median of $1,571. Rents here are higher than in Maine as a whole ($1,230). Rent takes 29.5% 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 Swans Island

Bachelor's degrees in Swans Island

Bachelor's degrees, % of adults 25+
PeriodSwans IslandMaineU.S.
2006–1031.7%27.0%28.4%
2010–1433.8%28.7%29.6%
2015–1938.8%32.0%32.1%
2020–2442.9%36.5%35.6%
Change+11.2 pts+9.5 pts+7.2 pts
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College degrees are more common in Swans Island than nationally: 42.9% 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 Swans Island

High school graduates, % of adults 25+
PeriodSwans IslandMaineU.S.
2006–1089.9%89.9%84.9%
2010–1491.9%91.4%86.1%
2015–1992.6%92.6%87.7%
2020–2493.3%94.8%89.3%
Change+3.4 pts+4.8 pts+4.3 pts
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High school completion in Swans Island is above the national rate: 93.3% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%. That is in line with the rest of Maine.

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 Swans Island

Unemployment, % of the labor force
PeriodSwans IslandMaineU.S.
2006–107.6%6.6%8.1%
2010–146.3%7.6%9.4%
2015–196.1%4.2%5.6%
2020–243.1%3.9%5.4%
Change−4.5 pts−2.7 pts−2.7 pts
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Unemployment in Swans Island has been low: just 3.1% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. 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).

Swans Island compared with nearby cities

CityHousehold sizeMedian ageSingle parentsRentersVacant homesMedian year builtMedian rentBachelor's degreeHigh school diplomaUnemployment
Swans Island2.3749.52.1%13.4%54.7%1981$1,52942.9%93.3%3.1%
Atlantic2.3749.52.1%13.4%54.7%1981$1,52942.9%93.3%3.1%
Bass Harbor2.3348.73.0%16.3%53.6%1982$1,46542.8%94.2%2.6%
Bernard2.2346.94.8%23.3%51.2%1984$1,33042.4%95.9%1.6%
Naskeag2.1548.84.0%17.6%51.6%1981$1,23541.8%95.6%1.1%
Seal Cove2.2046.85.2%25.5%50.7%1984$1,29142.3%96.4%1.5%
Seawall2.4143.912.7%30.6%58.2%1982$1,25044.1%94.7%1.2%
Southwest Harbor1.9853.36.8%46.3%53.7%1979$98934.2%97.9%5.8%
Cranberry Isles2.4143.912.7%30.6%58.2%1982$1,25044.1%94.7%1.2%
South Deer Isle1.7758.24.2%22.9%44.2%1971$82328.8%92.7%15.9%
Brooklin2.1549.04.7%16.3%51.4%1981$1,23342.4%95.7%1.2%

All figures 2020–24.

Cities with similar populations: Glendale, UT · Greensboro Bend, VT · Greenleaf, MN · Green Pond, NJ · Great Bend, ND · Grays, SC · Gravity, IA · Gravelton, MO · Granite Bluff, MI · Gore, WV

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 Swans Island. 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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