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Race relations in America seem to be hitting a tipping point.
While we still haven't dealt with racism as a society, the election of Donald Trump to the presidency has only flamed the tensions that have been mounting for years.
Part of the reason for that tension? The country as a whole continues to self segregate across race, income, and party lines. But it's not all bad on the race relations front.
There are parts of Maine where there's a high level of diversity -- where people of all walks of life come together. We decided to shine a light on those places today.
Using a standard measure of diversity, we ranked all 19 cities in Maine from most to least diverse.
Here are the 10 most diverse places in Maine for 2021:
So what city is the most diverse in Maine? According to the most Census data, Portland took the number one over all spot for diversity in Maine.
Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers and how your town ranked. To see where Maine ranked as a state, we have a ranking of the most diverse states in Ameria.
And if you already knew these places were diverse, check out:
The 10 Most Diverse Places In Maine For 2021
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How we determined the most diverse cities in Maine for 2021
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 2015-2019 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:
- 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*
- Hispanic or Latino
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 HHI for each city by finding the racial breakdown of a city in percent terms, squaring them, and then adding the squares together. This left us with scores ranging from 6,864 (Portland) to 9,380 (Brewer).
Finally, we ranked each city based on the HHI with a lower score being more diverse than a high score. Portland took the distinction of being the most diverse, while Brewer was the least diverse city. You can download the data here.
Read on for more information on how the cities in Maine ranked for diversity or, for a more general take on diversity in america, head over to our ranking of the most diverse cities in America.
There You Have It - Diversity Across Maine
If you're looking for a scientific breakdown of diversity across Maine, this is an accurate list.
If you're curious enough, here are the least diverse places in Maine:
- Brewer
- Rockland
- Gardiner
For more Maine reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In Maine
- Cheapest Places To Live In Maine
- Most Dangerous Cities In Maine
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Maine
- Safest Places In Maine
- Worst Places To Live In Maine
Detailed List Of The Most Diverse Cities In Maine For 2021
| Rank | City | HHI |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Portland, ME | 6,864 |
| 2 | Lewiston, ME | 7,429 |
| 3 | South Portland, ME | 7,825 |
| 4 | Westbrook, ME | 7,883 |
| 5 | Bangor, ME | 8,030 |
| 6 | Biddeford, ME | 8,053 |
| 7 | Auburn, ME | 8,181 |
| 8 | Presque Isle, ME | 8,463 |
| 9 | Waterville, ME | 8,504 |
| 10 | Old Town, ME | 8,535 |
| 11 | Belfast, ME | 8,622 |
| 12 | Augusta, ME | 8,650 |
| 13 | Caribou, ME | 8,839 |
| 14 | Ellsworth, ME | 8,992 |
| 15 | Saco, ME | 8,992 |
| 16 | Bath, ME | 9,058 |
| 17 | Gardiner, ME | 9,078 |
| 18 | Rockland, ME | 9,146 |
| 19 | Brewer, ME | 9,380 |
