Maine became more diverse and less poor in the last five years, according to new U.S. Census data.
The Black and African American populations grew 31 percent from 16,906 to 22,106 in the past five years. The Latino population grew by 41 percent, from 20,427 to 28,717 in 2022.
The state’s overall poverty rate of 10.8 percent improved from 11.1 percent in 2017 and ranks below the national average of 12.6 percent. The median income for Mainers has increased 31 percent, from $53,024 to $69,543, in the past five years, according to Thursday’s U.S. Census American Community Five-Year Survey results.
Median home values also skyrocketed 71 percent from $179,900 in 2017 to $307,600 in 2022.
The new data underscore a trend that has emerged in the last five years, as the state’s population grows slowly less white. Although Maine is still the whitest state in the nation at 90 percent, followed by Vermont and West Virginia both at 89 percent.
The American Community Survey data measure the changing social and economic characteristics of the U.S. population including education, housing, and jobs. Unlike the 10-year census, the ACS can be broken down by county and zip code because data are continually collected and often used to determine how federal funds are distributed each year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
For smaller rural communities monthly data are collected and measured over a five-year span while more urban areas are measured annually.
The state’s overall population grew by more than 55,000 people, from 1,330,158 to 1,385,340. And much of the state’s population growth comes from a more diverse group of people moving into the state.
“The more I talk to people, they want a change of pace from urban areas,” said Adilah Muhammad, Executive Director of The Third Place in Portland, an organization that supports Black entrepreneurs and professionals.
The white population declined from 1,261,661 in 2017 to 1,258,198 in 2022. The Native American population dropped from 8,212 to 7,035 in 2022.
University of Maine professor of Anthropology and Chair of Native American Programs Darren Ranco said there could be many reasons for the decline in the number of indigenous people.
Houlton Band of Maliseets Chief Clarissa Sabattis said that the census has asked to have conversations with tribal leaders to see how they can have more success collecting information and that there is some concern about accuracy due to the small sample groups.
The survey revealed income disparities in the state with nearly 35 percent of American Indians now living in poverty, and 29 percent of Blacks and African Americans, up from 20 percent five years ago.
Such data do not reveal the entire picture, said Muhammed.
“When this kind of information comes out, I am always skeptical because the largest portion are folks who identify as refugees or immigrants are coming into Maine with limited resources, limited wealth accumulation,” she said. “If those individuals are included in those numbers it’s not surprising for me that there’s going to be an income disparity.”
The median rent jumped from $808 in 2017 to $1,033 in 2022 and household monthly expenses topped $1,573 in 2022.
Broadband access jumped from 77.7 percent in 2017 to 90.7 percent in 2022.
