How many people live in Penobscot County, ME?
Updated Apr. 6, 2026Refreshed annually
In 2024, there were about 156,800 people living in Penobscot County, ME. That makes Penobscot County the third-most populous county in Maine. It is home to 11.1% of people living in the state.
157K
population of Penobscot County, ME (2024)
11.1%
County share of the Maine population (2024)
About 156,800 people lived in Penobscot County, ME in 2024.
Population estimates, 2000–2024
What are Penobscot County, ME’s age demographics?
About 33,200 Penobscot County residents are aged 65 and older in 2024. That represents 21.2% of its population. For comparison, the age group represents 23.5% of Maine’s population and 18% in the US overall.
Another 26,900 Penobscot County residents, or 17.1% of the population, were children under 18. For comparison, the age group represents 17.6% of Maine’s population and 21.6% in the US overall.
A lower share of Penobscot County, ME's population is aged under 18 than the US as a whole.
Population estimates by age group, (2024)
What are Penobscot County, ME’s racial and ethnic demographics?
Non-Hispanic white residents make up 92% of the Penobscot County, ME population, higher than the national share of 57.5%. Penobscot County, ME also has a larger share of people identifying as non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native (1.2%) than the US overall (0.72%).
In contrast, Penobscot County’s Hispanic population accounts for 2.4%, below the 20% nationwide, and the non-Hispanic Black or African American population makes up 1.2% of the county, compared with 12.6% nationally.
Racial and ethnic make up differ based on location. These figures reflect how people identified their race alone (not in combination with other races), and separate out Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, following Census reporting standards.
Penobscot County, ME has a higher share of a non-Hispanic white population than Maine as a whole.
Population estimates by race and ethnicity, (2024)
The largest city or town in Penobscot County, ME is Bangor with about 32,400 residents in 2024.
Cities and towns in Penobscot County, ME ranked by population
Population (2024), includes only portions within county
| City or town | Population | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Bangor | 32,446 |
| 2. | Orono | 12,199 |
| 3. | Brewer | 9,629 |
| 4. | Hampden | 8,022 |
| 5. | Old Town | 7,511 |
| 6. | Hermon | 6,921 |
| 7. | Lincoln | 4,945 |
| 8. | Glenburn | 4,785 |
| 9. | Millinocket | 4,116 |
| 10. | Orrington | 3,895 |
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Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
The analysis was generated with the help of AI and reviewed by USAFacts for accuracy.
Page sources
USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.
