Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety80#3,186/15,637
Economy21#12,426/15,631
Housing82#2,645/14,977
Health10#13,994/15,609
Healthcare68#5,048/15,650
Environment92#1,244/15,453
Education60#6,191/15,649
Infrastructure13#13,632/15,650
Community38#9,630/15,651
Leisure & amenities51#7,678/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Limestone, Maine ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Aroostook County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) · low4.3 µg/m³
99/100Maine 4.9 µg/m³United States 8.0 µg/m³2022Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyAroostook County value
Grocery stores · high3.9 /10k
98/100Maine 2.3 /10kUnited States 1.7 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAroostook County value
Pharmacies · high3.0 /10k
96/100Maine 2.0 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAroostook County value
Mental health providers · high674 /100k
96/100Maine 586 /100kUnited States 348 /100k2025University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAroostook County value
Hot days · low1 days
95/100Maine 2 daysUnited States 42 days2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationAroostook County value
Home price to income ratio · low1.9×
94/100Maine 4.0×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077

Weaknesses

Comfortable days · low19.0%
0/100Maine 21.2%United States 26.8%2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationAroostook County value
Distance to an airport · high238 mi
0/100Maine 62 miUnited States 33 mi2025Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauAroostook County value
Distance to an Amtrak station · high214 mi
2/100Maine 46 miUnited States 43 mi2026Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauAroostook County value
New business applications · low7.6 /1k
5/100Maine 10.0 /1kUnited States 16.6 /1k2025U.S. Census BureauAroostook County value
Drug overdose deaths · high35.6 /100k
5/100Maine 24.7 /100kUnited States 18.4 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataAroostook County value
Income inequality (Gini index) · high0.529
7/100Maine 0.456United States 0.4832020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19083

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

PopulationFalling
1,504 (2015-2019) → 1,079 (2020-2024)
−28%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Rent-burdened householdsImproving
48.0% (2015-2019) → 29.6% (2020-2024)
−18 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
71.5% (2015-2019) → 80.1% (2020-2024)
+8.6 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Average commute timeWorsening
13.9 min (2015-2019) → 19.7 min (2020-2024)
+41%5 yearsCensus table B08013US 26.9 min → 26.4 min
Median household incomeImproving
$37,813 (2015-2019) → $52,607 (2020-2024)
+39%5 yearsCensus table B19013US $65,712 → $81,604
Child poverty rateImproving
18.7% (2015-2019) → 11.5% (2020-2024)
−7.1 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Limestone, Maine improved on 0 of 11 measures with a comparison and declined on 1. 10 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved0

No measure improved by more than its margin of error.

Declined1

Inequality+0.1370.392 → 0.529

All 11 measures

Change of every measure of Limestone, Maine between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Bachelor's degree or higher	18.8%2015-2019	18.6%2020-2024	−0.2 points	Within the margin of error	26%
Broadband subscriptions	71.5%2015-2019	80.1%2020-2024	+8.6 points	Within the margin of error	53%
Effective property tax rate	1.69%2015-2019	1.28%2020-2024	−0.4 points	Within the margin of error	85%
High school diploma or higher	90.3%2015-2019	89.4%2020-2024	−0.9 points	Within the margin of error	23%
Home price to income ratio	1.9×2015-2019	1.8×2020-2024	−0.1×	Within the margin of error	83%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.3922015-2019	0.5292020-2024	+0.137	Declined	2%
Median household income	$37,8132015-2019	$52,6072020-2024	+39%	Within the margin of error	72%
Poverty rate	18.5%2015-2019	13.8%2020-2024	−4.6 points	Within the margin of error	79%
Public transit commuters	0.0%2015-2019	0.0%2020-2024	0 points	Within the margin of error	60%
Rent as share of income	28.9%2015-2019	26.8%2020-2024	−2.1 points	Within the margin of error	69%
Rent-burdened households	48.0%2015-2019	29.6%2020-2024	−18 points	Within the margin of error	92%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Limestone, Maine five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Limestone, Maine in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Limestone, Maine itself moved −2 points in standing on average over the same 9 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

1,079 residents (±263)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79†
60–69†
50–59†
40–49†
30–39†
20–29†
10–19†
Under 10†

Share of all residents, each sex

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: 70–79 women (+6.8 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

1,079 residents (±263)

Limestone, Maine
Maine share

White97%1,052
Black1.5%†16
Hispanic or Latino0.1%†1
Asian0.5%†5
American Indian and Alaska Native0.0%0
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander0.0%0
Other or two or more races0.5%†5

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: American Indian and Alaska Native (−4.8 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B03002View table on data.census.gov

Education

784 residents (±162)

Limestone, Maine
Maine share

No high school diploma11%†83
High school or GED36%283
Some college26%†206
Associate degree8.4%†66
Bachelor's degree13%†100
Graduate degree5.9%†46

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B15003View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

463 households (±104)

Limestone, Maine
Maine share

Under $25k22%†103
$25k–50k24%†113
$50k–75k25%†114
$75k–100k7.3%†34
$100k–150k8.2%†38
$150k–200k6.9%†32
$200k or more6.3%†29

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: $200k or more (+6.3 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B19001View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

463 households (±104)

Limestone, Maine
Maine share

Own64%295
Rent36%†168

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

142 households (±78)

Limestone, Maine
Maine share

Under $75061%†87
$750–1,00026%†37
$1,000–1,50013%†18

Home values

295 homes (±74)

Limestone, Maine
Maine share

Under $150k69%205
$150k–250k25%†75
$250k–400k5.1%†15

Age of homes

551 homes (±105)

Limestone, Maine
Maine share

2010 or later0.5%†3
2000–20090.9%†5
1980–199924%†134

Size of homes

551 homes (±105)

Limestone, Maine
Maine share

Studio2.5%†14
1 bedroom13%†70
2 bedrooms20%†111

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

468 workers (±160)

Limestone, Maine
Maine share

Drive alone79%†372
Carpool2.8%†13
Public transit0.0%0
Walk5.8%†27
Bike0.0%0
Work from home12%†56
Other0.0%0

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Work from home (+9.2 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

412 workers (±152)

Limestone, Maine
Maine share

Under 15 min49%†200
15–29 min12%†50
30–44 min27%†112

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Aroostook County, the county holding most of Limestone's residents.

Aroostook County has 1,903 employer establishments, 283 for every 10,000 residents (1.14× the US rate of 248; 0.91× Maine's), with 19,837 paid employees at an average annual pay of $47,847. The Census Bureau also counts 4,190 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 1,903; 4,190 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 283; US 248 · Maine 309
Paid employees: 19,837
Average annual pay: $47,847; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Aroostook County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Truck transportation	120	17.8	3.52×More than typical	657	$51,501	115
Specialty trade contractors	118	17.5	1.13×About typical	529	$63,940	459
Ambulatory health care services	116	17.2	0.83×About typical	1,295	$55,003	153
Restaurants and other eating places	107	15.9	0.87×About typical	1,247	$19,933	16
Gasoline stations	60	8.9	2.75×More than typical	565	$25,901	—
Construction of buildings	59	8.8	1.16×About typical	171	$42,263	190
Automotive repair and maintenance	56	8.3	1.65×More than typical	229	$36,192	112
Lessors of real estate	56	8.3	0.68×Fewer than typical	195	$33,462	344
Full-service restaurants	54	8	1.04×About typical	626	$19,091	3
Banks and credit unions	46	6.8	2.11×More than typical	502	$55,552	—
Religious organizations	45	6.7	1.20×About typical	135	$18,748	—
Other specialty trade contractors	44	6.5	2.60×More than typical	183	$71,115	117

Rank places for an industry Open Aroostook County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 67,330 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

In FY2026, an estimated $349.4K of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Limestone, Maine: $324 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $349.4K; −42% vs FY2025
Per resident: $324; US $1,994
Sole-source: 0.6%; US 30%
Single offer: 1.6%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Office of the Assistant Secretary for Administration and Management$309.6K89%
Department of the Air Force$32.3K9.2%
Public Buildings Service$5,5291.6%
Department of the Army$2,0150.6%

Top recipients

CAREER SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION$284.6K81%
ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICAL CORPORATION$32.3K9.2%
JH&H ARCHITECTS PLANNERS INTERIORS, A PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATION$25K7.2%
JACOBS PROJECT MANAGEMENT CO$5,5291.6%
CREDERE ASSOCIATES, LLC$2,0150.6%

Spending by fiscal year

350.1KFY2017
278.3KFY2018
418.2KFY2019
429.2KFY2020
878.5KFY2021
303.4KFY2022
1MFY2023
341.3K

Top industries (NAICS)

Technical and trade schools · 6115$284.6K81%
Remediation and other waste management services · 5629$34.3K9.8%
Architectural, engineering, and related services · 5413$30.5K8.7%

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

How this is estimated

Agencies report each contract action's place of performance as a county and a ZIP code. A ZIP code's money is split among the cities it covers by the share of its land inside each (Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation areas); the part outside city limits stays with the county.

The place of performance is what the contracting agency reports, often the contractor's office rather than where the work happens.
Shares are of land, not of people or businesses: a ZIP code that is mostly rural land but has its offices in town gives the town less than it should.
ZIP codes that are not mapped areas (post office boxes, the unique ZIP codes of large federal sites and companies) stay with their county, unless one city covers nearly all of it.
Counts of actions and awards include those only partly in Limestone, Maine, so they do not add up across cities.

Limestone, Maine's figures are part of those of Aroostook County, ME ($102M in FY2026), never added to them: 0.3% of that total.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Limestone is mostly in Aroostook County.

See federal money in Aroostook County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Limestone, Maine is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

Jared F. GoldenD-ME-2 · 100% of residentsWith party 70%Missed 2.8%

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Aroostook County59100% of residents

Other cities and towns in Aroostook County

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/2339265

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends