In Washington County, Maine, 9.9% of the population are veterans, the highest share of any county in the state. Compare that to Cumberland County, Maine, where just 5.5% of residents have served. That 4.4% gap tells the story of how unevenly military service, community stability, and social infrastructure are distributed across Maine's 16 counties.
Statewide, the average veteran share is 7.7%. Counties with military bases or proximity to defense installations tend to cluster at the top of this ranking, while urban and younger-skewing counties fall toward the bottom.
Counties with the highest veteran concentrations:
Counties with the lowest veteran concentrations:
Broadband access shapes how veterans and other residents navigate services, telehealth, and remote work. Across Maine, the county average for broadband subscription stands at 87.4%. The range between best and worst-connected counties is striking.
Best-connected counties by broadband subscription rate:
Least-connected counties:
The share of residents living in the same home as the previous year signals how rooted communities are. High stability often correlates with aging populations and limited economic mobility, while lower rates can reflect growth, churn, or military-related relocation. Statewide, the average residential stability rate is 89.0%.
Most stable communities (highest same-house rate):
Most transient communities (lowest same-house rate):
Non-English language use and foreign-born populations round out the social portrait of Maine's counties. The county average for non-English home language is 5.0%, reflecting the state's overall demographic mix. Counties with higher concentrations of immigrants often show distinct patterns in disability rates, broadband access, and labor force participation.
Among residents under 65, the statewide average disability rate is 12.4%. This figure is relevant to veterans' services and community health infrastructure alike. Counties at the higher end of this range often have elevated veteran populations or older median ages, reflecting the cumulative toll of service and manual labor.
The data from Maine illustrates how social characteristics, from veteran status to broadband access to residential stability, cluster unevenly across county lines. Understanding these patterns at the county level is essential for targeting services, planning infrastructure, and allocating resources where they are most needed.
Data source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates