Reading the population record
Maine’s population was recorded before the first federal census and has been measured at ten-year intervals by the U.S. Census since 1790. The figures below trace growth from an estimated 12,000 people in 1742 to 1,328,361 in 2010.
The early series shows rapid growth after the American Revolution. Maine reached its highest recorded share of the national population in 1810, when its 228,705 residents represented 3.2 percent of the United States total. Although Maine continued to grow in most decades, national growth increasingly outpaced it.
Migration and political representation
Maine’s declining share of the national population had a political consequence: its delegation in the U.S. House of Representatives fell from a high of eight seats to two. The 1870 Census recorded the first population decline in the series, from 628,279 in 1860 to 626,915.
Westward migration after the Civil War contributed to concern among civic and political leaders. Immigration initiatives followed, including the Swedish Colony project in northern Aroostook County. Governor Joshua Chamberlain supported the recruitment of Swedish settlers to the region.
Gains and losses, 1990–2000
During that decade, southern and western cities, towns, and plantations formed the state’s principal growth area. Northern and eastern communities more frequently lost residents. Lewiston, Augusta, and Waterville were notable exceptions to the wider southern pattern: each lost more than five percent while many surrounding communities gained population.
Southern coastal counties generally gained population, while Washington County did not follow that pattern. Communities with more than 15,000 residents remained broadly consistent, though their rankings changed after 1990.
Population characteristics
Historical demographic data show that Maine’s Native American population by county was concentrated mainly in counties containing reservation communities. African American residents had their greatest county shares in southern Maine.
Veterans were relatively evenly distributed, with a somewhat higher proportion of veterans in Lincoln and Sagadahoc counties. The historical age distribution by county showed larger shares of residents under 18 in western and southern counties, while residents aged 65 and older formed a larger share in many northern and eastern counties.
Population table, 1742–2010
| Year | Maine | United States | Maine share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1742 | 12,000 | — | — |
| 1760 | 20,000 | — | — |
| 1770 | 31,257 | — | — |
| 1780 | 65,000 | — | — |
| 1790 | 96,540 | 3,929,214 | 2.5% |
| 1800 | 151,719 | 5,308,483 | 2.9% |
| 1810 | 228,705 | 7,239,881 | 3.2% |
| 1820 | 298,335 | 9,638,453 | 3.1% |
| 1830 | 399,455 | 12,866,020 | 3.1% |
| 1840 | 501,793 | 17,069,453 | 2.9% |
| 1850 | 583,169 | 23,191,876 | 2.5% |
| 1860 | 628,279 | 31,443,321 | 2.0% |
| 1870 | 626,915 | 39,818,449 | 1.6% |
| 1880 | 648,936 | 50,155,783 | 1.3% |
| 1890 | 661,086 | 62,947,714 | 1.1% |
| 1900 | 694,466 | 75,994,575 | 0.9% |
| 1910 | 742,371 | 91,972,266 | 0.8% |
| 1920 | 768,014 | 105,710,620 | 0.7% |
| 1930 | 797,423 | 122,775,046 | 0.6% |
| 1940 | 847,226 | 131,669,275 | 0.6% |
| 1950 | 913,774 | 150,697,361 | 0.6% |
| 1960 | 969,000 | 179,323,175 | 0.5% |
| 1970 | 994,000 | 203,302,031 | 0.5% |
| 1980 | 1,124,660 | 226,545,805 | 0.5% |
| 1990 | 1,227,928 | 248,709,873 | 0.5% |
| 2000 | 1,274,923 | 281,421,906 | 0.5% |
| 2010 | 1,328,361 | 308,745,538 | 0.4% |
Long-term trend
Maine’s population grew rapidly after the American Revolution and continued to expand through the first half of the nineteenth century. Growth nearly paused during the Civil War decade, producing the small decline recorded in 1870.
For much of the twentieth century, growth remained moderate and lagged the national increase. Maine’s share of the country’s population consequently moved from about one percent in 1890 to one-half percent by 1960. The largest later increase in this table occurred between 1970 and 1980, when the state added more than 130,000 residents.