Article Table Of Contents
Is being in an area that's growing quickly a good thing or a bad thing?
Depends on who you ask. Some want bigger, more exciting cities like Portland and Lewiston, while others want peace and quiet like in Gardiner and Belfast, thank you very much.
But today we're going to put opinions aside and just look at the cold hard facts -- over the past five years, which cities in Maine have the grown the fastest.
After getting knee deep in the Census's American Community Survey, we emerged with this set of cities in the Pine Tree State that have people climbing over each other to get in.
These are the 10 fastest growing cities in Maine for 2022 according to the most recent census data:
The 10 Fastest Growing Cities In Maine For 2022
What's the fastest growing city in Maine for 2022? Based on the most recent ACS data, Westbrook ranks as the fastest growing city in Maine. If you happen to be a resident of Westbrook, you're probably not too surprised to find it on our list.
If you're surprised--and you're wondering why these places are kind of a big deal--keep reading. We'll tell you what makes each of these 10 places in Maine are growing like weeds.
And if you already knew these places were happening, check out the best places to live in Maine or the Fastest Growing States In America.
For more Maine state reading:
The 10 Fastest Growing Cities In Maine For 2022
1. Westbrook
/10
Population: 18,935
Rank Last Year: 1 (No Change)
Population 2010: 17,314
Percent Growth 9.4%
Absolute Growth: 1,621
More on Westbrook: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
2. Saco
/10
Population: 19,716
Rank Last Year: 2 (No Change)
Population 2010: 18,398
Percent Growth 7.2%
Absolute Growth: 1,318
More on Saco: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
3. Ellsworth
/10
Population: 8,085
Rank Last Year: 3 (No Change)
Population 2010: 7,555
Percent Growth 7.0%
Absolute Growth: 530
More on Ellsworth: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
4. Waterville
/10
Population: 16,623
Rank Last Year: 4 (No Change)
Population 2010: 15,777
Percent Growth 5.4%
Absolute Growth: 846
More on Waterville: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
5. South Portland
/10
Population: 25,665
Rank Last Year: 5 (No Change)
Population 2010: 24,804
Percent Growth 3.5%
Absolute Growth: 861
More on South Portland: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
6. Portland
/10
Population: 66,706
Rank Last Year: 6 (No Change)
Population 2010: 66,138
Percent Growth 0.9%
Absolute Growth: 568
More on Portland: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
7. Belfast
/10
Population: 6,710
Rank Last Year: 7 (No Change)
Population 2010: 6,691
Percent Growth 0.3%
Absolute Growth: 19
More on Belfast: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
8. Biddeford
/10
Population: 21,502
Rank Last Year: 8 (No Change)
Population 2010: 21,490
Percent Growth 0.1%
Absolute Growth: 12
More on Biddeford: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
9. Auburn
/10
Population: 23,267
Rank Last Year: 9 (No Change)
Population 2010: 23,279
Percent Growth -0.1%
Absolute Growth: -12
More on Auburn: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
10. Lewiston
/10
Population: 36,158
Rank Last Year: 10 (No Change)
Population 2010: 36,684
Percent Growth -1.4%
Absolute Growth: -526
More on Lewiston: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
Methodology: How We Measured The Fastest Growing Cities In the Pine Tree State for 2022
To figure out which cities are growing the most, we simply had to look at the growth rates for cities sine the beginning of the decade, according to the American Community Survey put out by the census every year. Specifically:
- Current Population
- Population in 2010
- Growth rate from 2010 to Current (The latest available data which came out in Dec 2018)
We ranked all 19 Maine cities with a population over 5,000 people from highest growth rate to lowest.
The city with the highest growth rate during this time was crowned the fastest growing city in the Pine Tree State.
And for those of you who are a little rusty with their statistics, you can calculate the growth rate by the following formula:
[Current Population - Population 2010] / [Population 2010]
Here's a graph of the cities in Maine with the largest percent increase in population:
Summary: These Places Grew Up So Fast In Maine, You Know?
So there you have it, the fastest growing cities in Maine are led by Westbrook which has been growing at a blistering pace this decade relative to other cities and towns around the state.
It'll be interesting to see if these places can keep growing at the same rate over the next couple of years. We'll be here to let you know!
These places have been growing (or shrinking) the slowest (fastest):
- Caribou
- Presque Isle
- Old Town
For more Maine reading, check out:
Detailed List Of Fastest Growing Places In Maine For 2022
| Rank | City | Growth |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Westbrook | 9.4% |
| 2 | Saco | 7.2% |
| 3 | Ellsworth | 7.0% |
| 4 | Waterville | 5.4% |
| 5 | South Portland | 3.5% |
| 6 | Portland | 0.9% |
| 7 | Belfast | 0.3% |
| 8 | Biddeford | 0.1% |
| 9 | Auburn | -0.1% |
| 10 | Lewiston | -1.4% |
