Knox County, Maine Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Knox County is located in Maine with a total population of 41,003. It is the 10th most populous county out of 16 in Maine. The county encompasses 3 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Knox County is 49.5 years. This is 10% higher than the state median of 44.8 years. 11.4% of residents are 75 or older, suggesting a significant retirement-age population with implications for healthcare services and senior housing.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Knox County is $74,096. This is about the same as the state median of $74,733. It is also 8% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 8.2%. This is 24% lower than the state poverty rate of 10.8%. The unemployment rate is 3.9%. This is 3% higher than the state rate of 3.8%. The median home value is $324,900. Housing costs are 10% higher than the state median of $296,600. The home-value-to-income ratio is 4.4x. 78.7% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 6% higher than the state average of 74.3%.

Race & Ethnicity

Knox County has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 93.2% of all residents. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 1.9%. The Black or African American population (0.3%) is well below the state average of 1.8%. The Asian population (0.5%) is well below the state average of 1.1%.

Education

39.7% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 10% higher than the state rate of 36.2%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 94.8%. Notably, 15.3% of adults hold a graduate or professional degree, indicating a highly educated workforce.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Knox County come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates, with comparisons drawn against Maine and national averages from the same dataset. See our methodology page for how each metric is defined, or data.census.gov for official tables with margins of error.