Maine’s Smallest Towns: How Their Populations Changed Since 1950
We all know the internet can be a bit of a double-edged sword.
Sure, it has its downsides, but let’s keep things light and focus on one of its greatest gifts to society: the ability to waste countless hours going down completely random rabbit holes. I mean, who doesn’t want to spend an entire afternoon learning who invented the slinky or why curling is named curling.
Every once in a while, though, all that aimless internet surfing actually leads to something pretty fascinating.
What Were Maine Towns Like 75+ Years Ago?
That happened to me when I stumbled across some old U.S. Census data that immediately caught my attention. What I found was an official preliminary population report from the 1950 Census, detailing the population of every county, city, and town in Maine. It’s essentially a snapshot of where Mainers called home more than 75+ years ago—and looking at those numbers today shows just how dramatically some parts of the state have changed.
A lot has changed in the past 70+ years. And many of those changes directly impacted county and town populations. Whether it was mill closures, the birth of suburbia, revitalization, commercial development, economic recessions, shifts in manufacturing, or military base openings and closures—each played a role in shaping growth.
What were the Least Populated Maine Towns in 1950?
I decided to chart the Top 20 least populated towns from 1950. I was curious to see how different things looked compared to today.
My conclusion? Well… not much. With the exception of literally none, these are still very small towns. Honestly, there were very few surprises. The fact that most of the towns come from more remote counties like Washington and Oxford was fully expected. The most interesting fact from the list? Two of the towns—Centerville and Greenfield—aren’t even officially towns anymore.
READ MORE: The 10 Hiking Trails You Can’t Miss in Maine’s Acadia National Park
You can find the complete Top 20 below. Current populations are listed as well, to show the positive (and sometimes negative) growth these municipalities have experienced over the generations.
