Scores by category

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

Safety80#3,186/15,637
Economy13#13,593/15,631
Housing75#3,683/14,977
Health4#14,921/15,609
Healthcare61#6,043/15,650
Environment92#1,244/15,453
Education48#8,142/15,649
Infrastructure13#13,667/15,650
Community35#10,237/15,651
Leisure & amenities51#7,678/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Van Buren, 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
Unemployment rate · low0.4%
95/100Maine 3.3%United States 4.3%2020-2024U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Census table B23025High uncertainty
Hot days · low1 days
95/100Maine 2 daysUnited States 42 days2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationAroostook County value

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
Frequent mental distress · high23.4%
2/100Maine 20.4%United States 18.6%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteModel-based estimate
Broadband subscriptions · low73.4%
2/100Maine 90.3%United States 91.0%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B28002
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
Adult smoking · high23.2%
4/100Maine 16.0%United States 16.1%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteModel-based estimate

Trends

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

Child poverty rateImproving
56.9% (2015-2019) → 15.0% (2020-2024)
−42 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
62.2% (2015-2019) → 73.4% (2020-2024)
+11 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Poverty rateImproving
34.9% (2015-2019) → 24.2% (2020-2024)
−11 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 12.3% → 12.1%
Median household incomeImproving
$27,917 (2015-2019) → $38,851 (2020-2024)
+39%5 yearsCensus table B19013US $65,712 → $81,604
Uninsured residents (under 65)Improving
13.9% (2015-2019) → 7.8% (2020-2024)
−6.1 pts5 yearsCensus table B27010US 10.8% → 9.8%
High school diploma or higherImproving
78.5% (2015-2019) → 83.9% (2020-2024)
+5.4 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 88.0% → 89.6%

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, Van Buren, Maine improved on 4 of 12 measures with a comparison and declined on 0. 8 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.

Improved4

Poverty−11 points34.9% → 24.2%
Property tax−0.5 points1.47% → 0.93%
Household income+39%$27,917 → $38,851
Broadband+11 points62.2% → 73.4%

Declined0

No measure declined by more than its margin of error.

All 12 measures

Change of every measure of Van Buren, Maine between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	19.7 min2015-2019	16.2 min2020-2024	−3.4 min	Within the margin of error	82%
Bachelor's degree or higher	9.5%2015-2019	10.3%2020-2024	+0.8 points	Within the margin of error	33%
Broadband subscriptions	62.2%2015-2019	73.4%2020-2024	+11 points	Improved	65%
Effective property tax rate	1.47%2015-2019	0.93%2020-2024	−0.5 points	Improved	93%
High school diploma or higher	78.5%2015-2019	83.9%2020-2024	+5.4 points	Within the margin of error	84%
Home price to income ratio	2.7×2015-2019	2.5×2020-2024	−0.1×	Within the margin of error	85%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.5222015-2019	0.5742020-2024	+0.053	Within the margin of error	15%
Median household income	$27,9172015-2019	$38,8512020-2024	+39%	Improved	73%
Poverty rate	34.9%2015-2019	24.2%2020-2024	−11 points	Improved	94%
Rent as share of income	28.9%2015-2019	27.4%2020-2024	−1.5 points	Within the margin of error	66%
Rent-burdened households	43.7%2015-2019	40.7%2020-2024	−3 points	Within the margin of error	66%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	13.9%2015-2019	7.8%2020-2024	−6.1 points	Within the margin of error	90%

“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 Van Buren, Maine five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Van Buren, 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, Van Buren, Maine itself moved +7.6 points in standing on average over the same 10 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

1,634 residents (±210)

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: 60–69 men (−6.5 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

1,634 residents (±210)

Van Buren, Maine
Maine share

White93%1,518
Black2.0%†33
Hispanic or Latino0.4%†7

Education

1,286 residents (±173)

Van Buren, Maine
Maine share

No high school diploma16%†207
High school or GED43%557
Some college22%282

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

770 households (±98)

Van Buren, Maine
Maine share

Under $25k37%286
$25k–50k30%†232
$50k–75k16%†121
$75k–100k5.8%†45
$100k–150k8.3%†64
$150k–200k0.9%†7
$200k or more1.9%†15

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 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

770 households (±98)

Van Buren, Maine
Maine share

Own62%475
Rent38%295

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

Table view

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

Rent paid

295 households (±88)

Van Buren, Maine
Maine share

Under $75052%†154
$750–1,00038%†112
$1,000–1,5006.8%†20

Home values

475 homes (±77)

Van Buren, Maine
Maine share

Under $150k69%329
$150k–250k12%†56
$250k–400k8.4%†40

Age of homes

1,063 homes (±109)

Van Buren, Maine
Maine share

2010 or later0.8%†8
2000–20093.6%†38
1980–199915%†162

Size of homes

1,063 homes (±109)

Van Buren, Maine
Maine share

Studio2.9%†31
1 bedroom24%†259
2 bedrooms28%295

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

460 workers (±99)

Van Buren, Maine
Maine share

Drive alone77%353
Carpool6.7%†31
Public transit0.4%†2
Walk7.2%†33
Bike0.0%0
Work from home8.9%†41
Other0.0%0

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Carpool (−9.7 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

419 workers (±91)

Van Buren, Maine
Maine share

Under 15 min62%†259
15–29 min11%†45
30–44 min14%†59

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 Van Buren'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 $238.7K of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Van Buren, Maine: $146 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $238.7K; +433% vs FY2025
Per resident: $146; US $1,994
Sole-source: 91%; US 30%
Single offer: 0.1%; 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

U.S. Customs and Border Protection$225.1K94%
Public Buildings Service$13.6K5.7%

Top recipients

TEYA DIVERSIFIED SERVICES LLC$221.1K93%
ED PELLETIER & SONS CO$11.7K4.9%
BERNAICHE PROPERTY MAINTENANCE LLC$6,0632.5%
CMC & MAINTENANCE INC$2,9061.2%
FACILITIES SUPPORT GROUP, LLC$1,6800.7%

Spending by fiscal year

4.4KFY2017
4.5KFY2018
47.1KFY2019
11KFY2020
7.7KFY2021
6.1KFY2022
71.2KFY2023
30.4KFY2024

Top industries (NAICS)

Nonresidential building construction · 2362$221.1K93%
Highway, street, and bridge construction · 2373$11.7K4.9%
Facilities support services · 5612$4,5861.9%
Services to buildings and dwellings · 5617$4,5641.9%

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 Van Buren, Maine, so they do not add up across cities.

Van Buren, Maine's figures are part of those of Aroostook County, ME ($102M in FY2026), never added to them: 0.2% of that total.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Van Buren 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.

Van Buren, 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/2378535

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends