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Across most of America, the African American and Hispanic communities comprise "most of the minority". We're not totally sure that's a term, but it's an accurate reflection of the state of race in America.
Asians are a "minority of the minority", generally. But not everywhere.
There are now over 17 million people who identify as Asian living in America, making up 5.6% of the total population. According to the most recent American Community Survey, the Asian population in Maine is 15,157 - at 1.1% of the total population of Maine.
And, unlike African Americans that fall under one group in the Census, Asian Americans have many sub-groups -- Chinese, Filipino, and Indian being the three largest sub-groups.
So, what how does the Asian population stratify across Maine? Which cities and towns in Maine have seen the greatest increase in their Asian population?
Here are the cities in Maine with the largest Asian population in 2022:
Which city in Maine had the largest Asian population? Portland took the number one over all spot for the largest Asian in Maine for 2022. 3.85% of Portland identify as Asian.
Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers and how your town ranked.
To see where Maine ranked as a state on diversity, we have a ranking of the most diverse states in America.
And if you already knew these places were Asian, check out the best places to live in Maine or the most diverse places in Maine.
The 10 Most Asian Cities In Maine For 2022
/10
Population: 66,706
% Asian: 3.85%
# Of Asian Residents: 2,565
Percent Change Since 2010: -2.4%
More on Portland: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 16,623
% Asian: 3.12%
# Of Asian Residents: 519
Percent Change Since 2010: 129.65%
More on Waterville: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 21,502
% Asian: 2.77%
# Of Asian Residents: 596
Percent Change Since 2010: 21.38%
More on Biddeford: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 25,665
% Asian: 2.46%
# Of Asian Residents: 631
Percent Change Since 2010: -20.43%
More on South Portland: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 18,662
% Asian: 1.62%
# Of Asian Residents: 303
Percent Change Since 2010: -2.57%
More on Augusta: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 32,029
% Asian: 1.61%
# Of Asian Residents: 517
Percent Change Since 2010: -19.34%
More on Bangor: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 18,935
% Asian: 1.53%
# Of Asian Residents: 289
Percent Change Since 2010: 265.82%
More on Westbrook: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 23,267
% Asian: 1.41%
# Of Asian Residents: 329
Percent Change Since 2010: 6.82%
More on Auburn: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 36,158
% Asian: 1.35%
# Of Asian Residents: 487
Percent Change Since 2010: 60.2%
More on Lewiston: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 9,072
% Asian: 1.31%
# Of Asian Residents: 119
Percent Change Since 2010: 466.67%
More on Presque Isle: Real Estate | Data | Photos
Methodology: How We Determined The Cities In Maine With The Largest Asian Population For 2022
We still believe in the accuracy of data -- especially from the census. So that's where we went to get the breakdown of race across Maine.
That lead us to the Census's most recently available data, the 2016-2020 American Community Survey data from the US Census.
Specifically, we looked at table B03002: Hispanic OR LATINO ORIGIN BY RACE. Here are the category names as defined by the Census:
- Hispanic or Latino
- White alone*
- Black or African American alone*
- American Indian and Alaska Native alone*
- Asian alone*
- Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone*
- Some other race alone*
- Two or more races*
Our particular column of interest here was the number of people who identified as Asian alone.
We limited our analysis to non-CDPs with a population greater than 5,000 people. That left us with 19 cities.
We then calculated the percent of residents that are Asian. The percentages ranked from 3.8% to 0.0%.
Finally, we ranked each city based on the percent of Asian population with a higher score being more Asian than a lower score. Portland took the distinction of being the most Asian, while Belfast was the least Asian city. You can download the data here.
Read on for more information on how the cities in Maine ranked by population of Asian residents or, for a more general take on diversity in America, head over to our ranking of the most diverse cities in America.
Summary: Asian Populations Across Maine
If you're looking for a breakdown of Asian populations across Maine according to the most recent data, this is an accurate list.
If you're curious enough, here are the least Asian places in Maine:
- Belfast
- Brewer
- Gardiner
For more Maine reading, check out:
Table: Asian Population By City In Maine
| Rank | City | % Asian |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Portland | 3.85% |
| 2 | Waterville | 3.12% |
| 3 | Biddeford | 2.77% |
| 4 | South Portland | 2.46% |
| 5 | Augusta | 1.62% |
| 6 | Bangor | 1.61% |
| 7 | Westbrook | 1.53% |
| 8 | Auburn | 1.41% |
| 9 | Lewiston | 1.35% |
| 10 | Presque Isle | 1.31% |
| 11 | Ellsworth | 1.29% |
| 12 | Saco | 0.99% |
| 13 | Rockland | 0.96% |
| 14 | Bath | 0.85% |
| 15 | Old Town | 0.51% |
| 16 | Caribou | 0.14% |
| 17 | Gardiner | 0.12% |
| 18 | Brewer | 0.03% |
| 19 | Belfast | 0.0% |
