Southern Maine’s population grew from 2010 to 2014, the latest Census Bureau figures show, while northern Maine’s continued to shrink.
Figures released this week show that Portland grew from an estimated population of 66,194 on July 1, 2010, to an estimated 66,666 on July 1, 2014, an increase of just under 1 percent. Other cities in southern Maine also grew, including Saco (2.8 percent), Westbrook (2.3 percent) and South Portland (1.7 percent).
In northern Maine, most city populations declined from 2010 to 2014, including Presque Isle, where the population dropped 3.6 percent, and Bangor, down 1.4 percent. Lewiston and Auburn populations also declined, both by less than 1 percent.
The U.S. population grew 3.1 percent, to 318.9 million people, during the period. Maine’s population grew 0.2 percent to 1,330,089, a net gain of 2,728 residents.
Among Maine’s 16 counties, only three – Cumberland, York and Waldo – saw population increases during the four-year period. Cumberland County remained the state’s most populous county, with an estimated 287,797 residents as of July 1, and had the strongest population growth – 2.3 percent. York County grew 1.8 percent to 200,710, and Waldo County’s population grew 0.65 percent to 39,051. Maine’s smallest county in terms of population was Piscataquis County, with an estimated 17,026 people as of July 1, a decline of 2.9 percent over the four-year period, according to the Census Bureau.
Among Greater Portland suburbs, Falmouth (up 4.9 percent), Cumberland (up 4.9 percent) and Gorham (up 4 percent) were the fastest growing during the period covered by the Census report.
In the same report, the Census Bureau said Maine added 1,807 housing units from July 1, 2013, to July 1, 2014, and housing stock grew 0.2 percent to 727,632 units. Nationally, the number of housing units grew 0.6 percent during the same period, to nearly 134 million units.
Edward D. Murphy can be contacted at 791-6465 or at:
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