Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US metro and micro areas.

Safety83#154/924
Economy69#291/925
Housing44#518/925
Health47#490/925
Healthcare88#116/923
Environment94#55/917
Education81#178/925
Infrastructure56#407/925
Community82#169/925
Leisure & amenities58#393/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Augusta-Waterville, ME micropolitan area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Violent crime rate · low79 /100k
95/100Maine 93 /100kUnited States 328 /100k2025Federal Bureau of InvestigationAggregated from counties
Primary care physicians · high111 /100k
95/100Maine 107 /100kUnited States 76 /100k2022University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) · low5.2 µg/m³
94/100Maine 4.9 µg/m³United States 8.0 µg/m³2022Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyAggregated from counties
Mental health providers · high602 /100k
93/100Maine 586 /100kUnited States 348 /100k2025University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
High school diploma or higher · high94.8%
92/100Maine 94.8%United States 89.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B15003
Hot days · low4 days
88/100Maine 2 daysUnited States 42 days2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationAggregated from counties

Weaknesses

Depression · high29.6%
5/100Maine 28.4%United States 20.7%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Drought exposure · high80%
15/100Maine 75%United States 43%Oct 2025–Sep 2026National Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAAAggregated from counties
Child care cost burden · high36.5%
15/100Maine 32.5%United States 27.9%2023 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Distance to an emergency room · high10.0 mi
17/100Maine 8.6 miUnited States 5.5 miJul 2026Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesAggregated from counties
Frequent mental distress · high20.0%
18/100Maine 20.4%United States 18.6%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
New business applications · low8.8 /1k
18/100Maine 10.0 /1kUnited States 16.6 /1k2025U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties

Trends

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

Drought exposureWorsening
10% (2021) → 80% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
+70 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
Hot daysWorsening
2 days (2011-2020) → 4 days (2016-2025)
+75%5 yearsUS 41 days → 42 days
Drug overdose deathsImproving
46.9 /100k (2021) → 22.8 /100k (Mar 2025–Feb 2026)
−51%5 yearsUS 30.8 /100k → 18.4 /100k
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
81.9% (2015-2019) → 91.1% (2020-2024)
+9.2 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Physical inactivityImproving
32.0% (2019) → 23.2% (2023)
−8.8 pts4 yearsUS 25.9% → 26.5%
Child care cost burdenWorsening
28.0% (2020 & 2021) → 36.5% (2023 & 2024)
+8.5 pts3 yearsUS 24.5% → 27.9%

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, Augusta-Waterville, ME micropolitan area improved on 10 of 31 measures with a comparison and declined on 7. 6 moved within the margin of error and 8 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among metro and micro areas: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2015-2019 with 2020-2024); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved10

Uninsured−2 points9.1% → 7.2%
Violent crime−40%132 /100k → 79 /100k
Weekly wage+28%$947 → $1,210
Bachelor's++3.9 points28.1% → 31.9%
Real income+35%$49,482 → $66,759

Declined7

Arts & recreation−11%4.3 /10k → 3.9 /10k
Commute+1.8 min23.6 min → 25.4 min
Pharmacies−23%2.8 /10k → 2.2 /10k
Grocery stores−6.9%2.2 /10k → 2.0 /10k
Price / income+0.6×2.9× → 3.4×

All 31 measures

Change of every measure of Augusta-Waterville, ME micropolitan area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	4.3 /10k2020	3.9 /10k2025	−11%	Declined	13%
Average commute time	23.6 min2015-2019	25.4 min2020-2024	+1.8 min	Declined	16%
Average weekly wage	$9472020	$1,2102025	+28%	Improved	84%
Bachelor's degree or higher	28.1%2015-2019	31.9%2020-2024	+3.9 points	Improved	75%
Broadband subscriptions	81.9%2015-2019	91.1%2020-2024	+9.2 points	Improved	53%
Child poverty rate	17.2%2015-2019	15.1%2020-2024	−2.1 points	Within the margin of error	47%
Distance to an airport	59 mi2020	59 mi2025	0 mi	Little change	50%
Drug overdose deaths	36.1 /100k2020	22.8 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	−37%	Improved	65%
Effective property tax rate	1.34%2015-2019	1.04%2020-2024	−0.3 points	Little change	89%
Firearm deaths	12.8 /100k2020	12.6 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−1.6%	Little change	52%
Grocery stores	2.2 /10k2020	2.0 /10k2025	−6.9%	Declined	30%
Gyms and fitness centers	1.0 /10k2020	1.0 /10k2025	−3.4%	Little change	32%
High school diploma or higher	92.5%2015-2019	94.8%2020-2024	+2.3 points	Within the margin of error	67%
Home price to income ratio	2.9×2015-2019	3.4×2020-2024	+0.6×	Declined	35%
Homicide rate	1.6 /100k2020	1.6 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	0%	Little change	22%
Income adjusted for local prices	$49,4822019	$66,7592024	+35%	Improved	71%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4402015-2019	0.4322020-2024	−0.008	Within the margin of error	75%
Median household income	$55,3652015-2019	$69,0772020-2024	+25%	Improved	37%
New business applications	6.6 /1k2020	8.8 /1k2025	+34%	Improved	33%
Pharmacies	2.8 /10k2020	2.2 /10k2025	−23%	Declined	15%
Poverty rate	12.8%2015-2019	11.6%2020-2024	−1.2 points	Within the margin of error	57%
Property crime rate	1,245 /100k2020	1,221 /100k2025	−1.9%	Little change	7%
Public libraries	1.5 /10k2019	1.4 /10k2024	−5%	Little change	24%
Rent as share of income	28.6%2015-2019	29.6%2020-2024	+1 points	Within the margin of error	37%
Rent-burdened households	46.0%2015-2019	48.8%2020-2024	+2.8 points	Within the margin of error	33%
Restaurants and bars	7.3 /10k2020	7.5 /10k2025	+3%	Little change	58%
Suicide rate	16.8 /100k2020	18.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+7.7%	Declined	42%
Traffic deaths	11.7 /100k2015-2019	13.2 /100k2020-2024	+14%	Declined	38%
Unemployment rate	4.6%2020	3.1%2025	−1.5 points	Improved	10%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	9.1%2015-2019	7.2%2020-2024	−2 points	Improved	85%
Violent crime rate	132 /100k2020	79 /100k2025	−40%	Improved	89%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 708 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master files; Public Libraries Survey; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. 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 925 metro and micro areas 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.

Metro and micro areas like Augusta-Waterville, ME micropolitan area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Augusta-Waterville, ME micropolitan area 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, Augusta-Waterville, ME micropolitan area itself moved −2.3 points in standing on average over the same 30 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

126,808 residents

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69

Income

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

Household income

54,312 households (±666)

Augusta-Waterville, ME micropolitan area
United States share

Under $25k15%8,304
$25k–50k21%11,466
$50k–75k17%9,429

Homes

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

Owners and renters

54,312 households (±666)

Augusta-Waterville, ME micropolitan area
United States share

Own74%40,006
Rent26%14,306

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (+3.1 points).

Table view

Getting to work

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

How people get to work

60,135 workers (±1,257)

Augusta-Waterville, ME micropolitan area
United States share

Drive alone74%44,294
Carpool6.8%4,109
Public transit0.2%†119

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes no occupation wages for Augusta-Waterville, ME micropolitan area.

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.

Augusta-Waterville, ME has 3,318 employer establishments, 259 for every 10,000 residents (1.04× the US rate of 248), with 49,617 paid employees at an average annual pay of $53,915. The Census Bureau also counts 9,507 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 3,318; 9,507 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 259; US 248
Paid employees: 49,617
Average annual pay: $53,915; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Augusta-Waterville, ME by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Specialty trade contractors	265	20.7	1.33×More than typical	1,542	$66,281	963
Ambulatory health care services	254	19.8	0.95×About typical	4,555	$70,174	435
Restaurants and other eating places	228	17.8	0.97×About typical	3,784	$24,463	34
Construction of buildings	143	11.1	1.47×More than typical	521	$51,927	465
Lessors of real estate	117	9.1	0.74×Fewer than typical	375	$49,923	962
Building equipment contractors	105	8.2	1.36×More than typical	515	$54,280	187
Services to buildings and dwellings	101	7.9	1.17×About typical	486	$47,163	583
Limited-service restaurants	90	7	0.87×About typical	1,419	$24,158	17
Automotive repair and maintenance	88	6.9	1.36×More than typical	368	$45,063	193
Full-service restaurants	87	6.8	0.88×About typical	1,804	$27,100	10
Offices of other health practitioners	74	5.8	0.95×About typical	501	$51,044	264
Landscaping services	73	5.7	1.62×More than typical	206	$64,694	227

Rank places for an industry

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 128,254 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.
A metro area's figures are the exact sums of its counties.
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 contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $19.7M on contracts performed in Augusta-Waterville, ME micropolitan area: $152 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $19.7M; −47% vs FY2025
Per resident: $152; US $1,994
Sole-source: 21%; US 30%
Single offer: 22%; 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

Department of Veterans Affairs$17.3M88%
Defense Logistics Agency$534.9K2.7%
Food and Drug Administration$379.8K1.9%
Social Security Administration$261.3K1.3%
Department of the Army$248.2K1.3%
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission$238K1.2%
Public Buildings Service$236.9K1.2%
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention$189.7K1.0%

Top recipients

ASPIRE-LUKE JV LLC$2M10%
TITAN-AUXO, LLC$1.8M8.9%
NEXTERA ENERGY SERVICES MAINE, LLC$1.4M7.3%
PROMETHEUS FEDERAL SERVICES LLC$1.3M6.7%
VETERANS CONSTRUCTION LLC$1.3M6.5%

Spending by fiscal year

20.5MFY2017
32.7MFY2018
33.8MFY2019
31.6MFY2020
28MFY2021
44.6MFY2022
52.4MFY2023
48.7M

Top industries (NAICS)

Employment services · 5613$3.6M18%
Nonresidential building construction · 2362$1.7M8.8%
Electric power generation, transmission and distribution · 2211$1.4M7.3%
Other ambulatory health care services · 6219$1M5.2%
Offices of physicians · 6211$999.2K5.1%
Services to buildings and dwellings · 5617

Largest awards

TOGUS VAMC - AUGUSTA, ME CONSTRUCTION OF THE 'SUBSTANCE USE RESIDENTIAL REHAB BUILDING" PROJECT$16.1M
DUCAS CONSTRUCTION INC· Kennebec County, ME· Construction & real property· Feb 15, 2024 – Dec 3, 2025· 36C77624C0036
402-15-557 REPAIR DAMAGED WINDOWS AND ENTRANCEWAY DOORS MATOC$9.2M
CARRIGG COMMERCIAL BUILDERS LLC· Kennebec County, ME· Construction & real property· Jun 23, 2023 – Jun 10, 2026· 36C24123N0470
RENOVATE PATHOLOGY AND LABORATORY MEDICINE$7.9M
CARRIGG COMMERCIAL BUILDERS LLC· Kennebec County, ME· Construction & real property· Mar 29, 2021 – Jul 31, 2026· 36C24121N0428
PROJECT 402-19-681 CORRECT STORM WATER DEFICIENCIES (CONSTRUCTION)

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.

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $1B in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Augusta-Waterville, ME micropolitan area: $7,822 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $1B; −2.5% vs FY2025
Per resident: $7,822; US $12,955
Loan face value: $90.3M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 0.4%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$547.8M54%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$134.4M13%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$93.2M9.2%
14.871 · Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers$54.3M5.4%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$51.8M5.1%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$27.3M2.7%
14.195 · Project-Based Rental Assistance (PBRA)$11.7M1.2%
84.063 · Federal Pell Grant Program$11.2M1.1%

Top recipients (organizations)

MAINE STATE HOUSING AUTHORITY$56.3M5.6%
AUGUSTA, ME
UNIVERSITY OF MAINE SYSTEM$8.8M0.9%
AUGUSTA, ME
KENNEBEC VALLEY COMMUNITY ACT$7.1M0.7%
WATERVILLE, ME
CENTRAL MAINE GROWTH COUNCIL$6.4M0.6%
WATERVILLE, ME
WATERVILLE HOUSING AUTHORITY$4.9M

Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.

Top agencies

Social Security Administration$720.1M71%
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$149.6M15%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing$56.9M5.6%
Department of Housing and Urban Development
Department of Education$15.2M1.5%
Assistant Secretary for Housing--Federal Housing Commissioner

Assistance by fiscal year

950.2MFY2021
895.5MFY2022
930.6MFY2023
983.8MFY2024
1BFY2025
1BFY2026

County aggregates

87%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in Augusta-Waterville, ME

Whole counties, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineates the area. Federal spending below is the exact sum of these counties.

Kennebec CountyCentral county83129,067

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

Largest cities and towns

By population, for places with most of their residents in the area.

Other metro and micro areas in Maine

Areas based in Maine, best score first.

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Places that share a border, best score first.

Similar metro and micro areas

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.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
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
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
Air Quality Index Annual Summary by CountyU.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2025
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/M12300

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved10

Declined7

Metro and micro areas like Augusta-Waterville, ME micropolitan area five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Getting to work

How people get to work

Jobs and pay

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Counties in Augusta-Waterville, ME

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in Maine

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved10

Declined7

Age and sex

Household income

Owners and renters

How people get to work

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Time to get to work

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

What was bought