New census data show where Maine’s newcomers are moving
By Manyun Zou and David Dahl, The Maine Monitor
Your Data Monitor correspondents have written about the influx of new residents to Maine a few times in the past several months, but a new set of Census Bureau data caught our attention.
The new numbers show us which of Maine’s counties saw the biggest jump in domestic and international newcomers between April 2020 and July 1, 2022.
The county numbers are in the chart below. They show that 34,237 people came to Maine between April 1, 2020, and July 1, 2022. Of this, 30,642 came from other states and 3,595 from other countries. So about 10.5 percent of new Mainers overall were international migrants.
We knew most of that before. Here’s the newest detail from the latest census figures: Most of the international migrants relocated in Cumberland County, but every one of Maine’s 16 counties have seen an increase in international migrants. Those counties also saw an increase in domestic migrants — that is, people moving from other states — as well.
An estimated 1,886 international migrants came to Cumberland County during that period starting April 1, 2020, and ending July 1, 2022, but the numbers are increasing this year, too.
The Portland Press Herald reported recently that more than 1,000 asylum seekers have come to the city since Jan. 1. Portland is providing shelter to about 1,200 people, and recently opened the Expo Center to asylum seekers.
Other counties saw smaller increases.
York, Penobscot and Androscoggin each received more than 300 international migrants between April 1, 2020, and July 1, 2022, according to the newly released census data.
“There are people popping up in these small towns,” Chris Asch, co-founder and executive director of Capital Area New Mainers Project, told Amjambo Africa for a story on the relocation of international migrants. “The resettlement agencies … have been looking far afield from Portland and Lewiston-Auburn because they have to, because there’s not much [housing] available and what is available is very expensive.”
The census data also show the significant increase in the total of new Mainers from international and domestic locations. York received the biggest influx of new migrants from domestic and international locales (6,140 people), followed by Cumberland (5,067) and Kennebec (3,007).
The new Mainers more than offset what demographers call the “natural” change, that is births and deaths. In Maine, deaths have outnumbered births. The net increase in Maine’s population from April 1, 2020, to July 1, 2022 was 22,999.
The office of Maine’s state economist is keeping a close eye on the numbers.
“The recent population estimates showing strong migration into Maine are encouraging. All of our population growth over the past decade has come from migration, and this is a critical factor for employment and labor force growth,’’ said a spokesperson for the Maine state economist’s office.
The state economist’s office said the population increase started to pick up before the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It is particularly notable that all counties in Maine are experiencing population growth as a result of migration. In fact, some of Maine’s most rural counties are experiencing the highest rates of net migration and population growth overall,” the spokesperson said.
Detailed demographic information is limited, but there are some indications that the newcomers are relatively younger than the rest of Maine’s population. Maine’s median age actually dropped from 2020-2021 — the only state in the country to do so.
“If this pattern continues, more younger workers could help ease tight labor conditions in Maine, where we are seeing greater demand for labor and a relatively low supply,” the spokesperson said.
The influx is also driving up home prices, as The Maine Monitor has reported.
This story was originally published by The Maine Monitor, a nonprofit and nonpartisan news organization. To get regular coverage from the Monitor, sign up for a free Monitor newsletter here.