What is the poverty rate in Maine?
Updated monthly
About 10.6% of Maine’s population in 2024. The poverty rate is the percentage of people whose household income falls below the poverty threshold set by the government. It measures the percentage of people in households that don’t earn enough to pay for basic needs like food, housing, and healthcare. In 2024, 144,428 people in Maine were considered in poverty.
10.6%
of the population (2024)
144K
people living under the poverty line (2024)
Based on data from the American Community Survey dating back to 2010, Maine's poverty rate hit a peak in 2012 of 14.7%. Its lowest point was in 2023 at 10.4%. The state's poverty rate was 10.6% in 2024, 0.2 percentage point higher than the previous year.
In 2024, 10.6% of Maine population were living under the poverty line.
Poverty rate
While the poverty rate shows the overall trend, the total number matters because many aid programs and funding decisions are based on how many people are in poverty, not just the percentage. In 2024, 144,428 people living in Maine were in poverty — down 23.9% from the 2012 peak of 189,786.
In 2024, 144,400 people in Maine were in poverty.
People living under poverty line
Poverty doesn’t affect all groups equally. Rates vary widely by demographic group, family type and location.
From 2014 to 2024, the poverty rate for children under 18 in Maine decreased from 19.1% to 12.7%. During the same period, the poverty rate for adults under 65 years decreased from 14.1% to 10.4%. For those older than 65, the poverty rate increased from 8.9% to 9.5%.
In 2024, 12.7% of children in Maine were living under the poverty line.
Poverty rate by age group
Among racial or ethnic groups in Maine during 2024, three had a higher poverty rate than the state’s overall rate: American Indian and Alaska Native, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino origin (of any race).
Five had a lower than average poverty rate: Asian, Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander, some other race, two or more races, White alone, not Hispanic or Latino.
Over the previous ten years, the poverty rate for the Black or African American population shifted the most, decreasing from 46.4% in 2014 to 22.5% in 2024.
In Maine, the poverty rate for the Black or African American population decreased from 46.4% in 2014 to 22.5% in 2024.
Poverty rate by race or ethnicity
In 2019-2023, the poverty rate among Maine counties ranged from 7.1% in Cumberland County to 17.8% in Washington County. The poverty rate in the state’s largest county — Cumberland County — was 7.1%.
In 2019-2023, the poverty rate among Maine counties ranged from 7.1% to 17.8%.
Poverty rate
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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.
