Data / Rankings / Poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate) / Counties in Maine

Counties in Maine by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate)

Washington County had the highest poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate) of 16 counties in 2021, at 18.7%. York County had the lowest, at 7.7%. The median was 12% and the figure for Maine was 11.1%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest18.7Washington County
Lowest7.7York County
Median1216 counties
Maine11.1History

Map of counties, 2021

Androscoggin County: 11.9 %Aroostook County: 14.5 %Cumberland County: 7.8 %Franklin County: 11.9 %Hancock County: 10.3 %Kennebec County: 12 %Knox County: 9.3 %Lincoln County: 10.6 %Oxford County: 14 %Penobscot County: 13.8 %Piscataquis County: 16 %Sagadahoc County: 11.2 %Somerset County: 17.9 %Waldo County: 13 %Washington County: 18.7 %York County: 7.7 %
  • Under 10
  • 10 to 12
  • 12 to 13
  • 13 to 15
  • 15 and over
%, 2021. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

All counties, 2021

Washington County: 18.7 %Washington County18.7Somerset County: 17.9 %Somerset County17.9Piscataquis County: 16 %Piscataquis County16Aroostook County: 14.5 %Aroostook County14.5Oxford County: 14 %Oxford County14Penobscot County: 13.8 %Penobscot County13.8Waldo County: 13 %Waldo County13Kennebec County: 12 %Kennebec County12Androscoggin County: 11.9 %Androscoggin County11.9Franklin County: 11.9 %Franklin County11.9Sagadahoc County: 11.2 %Sagadahoc County11.2Lincoln County: 10.6 %Lincoln County10.6Hancock County: 10.3 %Hancock County10.3Knox County: 9.3 %Knox County9.3Cumberland County: 7.8 %Cumberland County7.8York County: 7.7 %York County7.7Washington County: 18.7 %Washington County18.7Somerset County: 17.9 %Somerset County17.9Piscataquis County: 16 %Piscataquis County16Aroostook County: 14.5 %Aroostook County14.5Oxford County: 14 %Oxford County14Penobscot County: 13.8 %Penobscot County13.8Waldo County: 13 %Waldo County13Kennebec County: 12 %Kennebec County12Androscoggin County: 11.9 %Androscoggin County11.9Franklin County: 11.9 %Franklin County11.9Sagadahoc County: 11.2 %Sagadahoc County11.2Lincoln County: 10.6 %Lincoln County10.6Hancock County: 10.3 %Hancock County10.3Knox County: 9.3 %Knox County9.3Cumberland County: 7.8 %Cumberland County7.8York County: 7.7 %York County7.7
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2021 (%)
1Washington County18.7
2Somerset County17.9
3Piscataquis County16
4Aroostook County14.5
5Oxford County14
6Penobscot County13.8
7Waldo County13
8Kennebec County12
9Androscoggin County11.9
10Franklin County11.9
11Sagadahoc County11.2
12Lincoln County10.6
13Hancock County10.3
14Knox County9.3
15Cumberland County7.8
16York County7.7

Other periods

About this ranking

People with income in the past 12 months below the official US poverty thresholds, as a percentage of people whose poverty status is determined. United States: American Community Survey five-year estimate, where the period shown is the last year of the five-year span.

The headline single-year rate for states and counties is poverty_rate (SAIPE). Poverty status is not determined for people in institutions, military group quarters or college dormitories, or for unrelated children under 15. Absolute thresholds set by the US government, so not comparable with the EU at_risk_of_poverty_rate.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the counties are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b17001.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

APA 7

U.S. Census Bureau. (2026). American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs (Counties in Maine by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2021) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b17001.dat

MLA 9

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, Counties in Maine by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2021. U.S. Census Bureau, 29 Jan. 2026, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b17001.dat. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/maine-counties?period=2021. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2026. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs. Counties in Maine by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2021. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b17001.dat. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/maine-counties?period=2021.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2026) American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, Counties in Maine by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2021 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b17001.dat, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/maine-counties?period=2021 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_in_maine_by_2021,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs: Counties in Maine by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2021}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b17001.dat},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/maine-counties?period=2021. Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary\_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b17001.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Census Bureau
TI  - American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs: Counties in Maine by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2021
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/01/29
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b17001.dat
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/maine-counties?period=2021
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/maine-counties?period=2021.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b17001.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
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Rank Counties in Maine by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate) using official data, and cite the source.
rank_places {"indicator":"poverty_rate_acs","level":"province","within":"Maine","limit":10}
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Questions

Which county has the highest poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate)?

Washington County, with 18.7% in 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate)?

York County, with 7.7% in 2021.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate): other rankings

Counties in Maine: more rankings